Curcumin may slow prostate tumor growth

Curcumin (diferuloyl methane), the phytochemical extracted from Curcuma longa root and the turmeric isoflavone exerting antioxidant, anti-proliferative and apoptotic effects used since centuries ago in Ayurvedic medicinal treatments and as a spice in many traditional Indian and also European dishes, has shown promising results on the treatment of tumor growth castration-resistant on androgen deprivation prostate cancer patients, as a study from Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Center shows [1].

CURCUMA LONGA

Family: Zingiberaceae
Genus: Curcuma
Common name: Turmeric

THE RESEARCH AND THE FINDINGS

The research, published on Cancer research and several other media, is flooding the Internet breaking news on the subject, Curcumin may help slow prostate cancer. The study, led by Karen Knudsen, Ph.D., Professor of Cancer Biology, Urology and Radiation Oncoloty at Thomas Jefferson University and her colleagues, observed how Curcumin (diferuloyl methane) was able to suppress p300 (also called EP300 or E1A binding protein p300[2]) and CBP (also known as CREB-binding protein or CREBBP[2]) occupancy.

To understand the importance of this finding we should take into account what is the role of these two coactivating proteints or receptor activators, namely p300 and CBP.

THE ROLE OF p300 AND CBP RECEPTOR ACTIVATORS

Some studies suggested that P300 mutations may play a role in the development of some types of prostate cancers, and could even help to predict whether these tumors will increase in size or spread to other parts of the body. Without p300 [2], cells cannot effectively restrain growth and division, which can allow cancerous tumors to form [2]. Jefferson's Kimmel Cancer Centre scientists aimed their efforts on finding a molecule that could inhibit these two androgen receptors.

HOW DOES CURCUMIN SUPPRESS p300 AND CBP

Their results are more than promising, curcumin suppressed p300 and CBP occupancy, reducing the association of histone acetylation, and suppressing androgen receptors, reducing tumor growth and delaying the onset of castrate-resistant disease [1]. But the outcome of this investigations goes further, as p300 and CBP are also present in other types of cancer as breast cancer [5], so the outcome of this research and its results could certainly affect some lines of investigation aimed to find the cure for other types of cancer as breast cancer.

CURCUMIN IN OTHER TYPES OF CANCER

In spite the study shows a high potential for the use of curcumin as a novel molecule for the fight of certain types of cancer, its use is not new in anti-cancer treatments and therapies. Curcumin showed also efficacy on the pre-treatment of drug-resistant breast cancer cells. In a pre-clinical study, it was clearly demonstrated the effectiveness of curcumin to combat doxorubicin-resistance, suggesting the use of curcumin as an adjuvant chemotherapeutic drug [5].

CURCUMIN ANTI-INFLAMMATORY AND ANTI-CANCER PROPERTIES

But these are not the only benefits of curcumin. In other studies and clinical trials, curcumin exhibited very powerful anti-inflammatory properties [9], probably due to the effect that it has on the activities of cytokines, enzymes and transcription factors linked to inflammation, a risk factor on cancer occurrence, proving this way a potential benefit for the treatment of cancer (Hep3B Liver and MCF-7 Breast Cancers) [9]. Additionally, curcumin induced apoptosis in several types of human SCLC NCI-H446 cancer cells.

CURCUMIN AS ANTI-MICROBIAL, ANTIOXIDANT AND ASTRINGENT

Apart from the already mentioned anti-cancer uses of curcumin, other relevant properties of curcumin have to also be highlighted. Curcumin has traditionally been used for stomach and liver ailments, but also exerted remarkable anti-microbial and antioxidant properties, being also a powerful astringent as Witch hazel.

CURCUMIN FOR ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE

Curcumin has also been used as a powerful agent against neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer's disease [14]. In some clinical experiments done in mice, it was included as part of an anti-Alzheimer’s disease food cocktail [15] for its beneficial effects on cognition, while the use of curcumin in patients with an advance degree of Alzheimer’s disease was disappointing in other clinical trials, probably because it should have been used before sever symptoms appeared [16].

Disclaimer

REFERENCES

[1] Targeting pioneering factor and hormone receptor cooperative pathways to suppress tumor progression. Shah SA, Prasad S, Knudsen KE. Cancer Biology, Thomas Jefferson University.

[2] Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/P300-CBP_coactivator_family).

[3] p73gamma transactivates the p21 promoter through preferential interaction with the p300/CBP-associated factor in human prostate cancer cells. Momii Y, Izumi H, Shiota M, Onitsuka T, Abe T, Kobayashi H, Miyamoto N, Uchiumi T, Kohno K. Department of Molecular Biology, School of Medicine, University of Occupational and Environmental Health Japan, Fukuoka 807-8555, Japan.

[4] Selective Roles for cAMP Response Element-binding Protein Binding Protein and p300 Protein as Coregulators for Androgen-regulated Gene Expression in Advanced Prostate Cancer Cells. Ianculescu I, Wu DY, Siegmund KD, Stallcup MR. From the Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and.

[5] Curcumin enhances the efficacy of chemotherapy by tailoring p65NFκB-p300 cross-talk in favor of p53-p300 in breast cancer. Sen GS, Mohanty S, Hossain DM, Bhattacharyya S, Banerjee S, Chakraborty J, Saha S, Ray P, Bhattacharjee P, Mandal D, Bhattacharya A, Chattopadhyay S, Das T, Sa G. Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12, Calcutta Improvement Trust Scheme VII M, Kolkata 700054, India.

[6] Curcumin enhances the anticancer effects of trichostatin a in breast cancer cells. Yan G, Graham K, Lanza-Jacoby S. Department of Surgery, Thomas Jefferson University, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

[7] Microfluidic fabrication of cationic curcumin nanoparticles as an anti-cancer agent. Dev S, Prabhakaran P, Filgueira L, Iyer KS, Raston CL. Centre for Strategic Nano-Fabrication, School of Biomedical, Biomolecular and Chemical Sciences, The University of Western Australia, Crawley, WA 6009, Australia.

[8] Effect of curcumin on irradiated and estrogen-transformed human breast cell lines. Calaf GM, Echiburú-Chau C, Wen G, Balajee AS, Roy D. Instituto de Alta Investigación, Universidad de Tarapacá, Arica, Chile.

[9] Curcumin Decreases Survival of Hep3B Liver and MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells : The Role of HIF. Ströfer M, Jelkmann W, Depping R. Department of Physiology, Center for Structural and Cell Biology in Medicine, University of Luebeck, Luebeck, Germany.

[10] An evidence-based approach to dietary phytochemicals By Jane Higdon

[11] Curcumin Induces Small Cell Lung Cancer NCI-H446 Cell Apoptosis via the Reactive Oxygen Species-Mediated Mitochondrial Pathway and Not the Cell Death Receptor Pathway. Yang CL, Ma YG, Xue YX, Liu YY, Xie H, Qiu GR. Department of Thoracic Surgery, Liaoning Cancer Hospital and Institute , Shenyang, Liaoning Province, China

[12] Targeting colon cancer stem cells using a new curcumin analogue, GO-Y030. Lin L, Liu Y, Li H, Li PK, Fuchs J, Shibata H, Iwabuchi Y, Lin J. Center for Childhood Cancer, The Research Institute at Nationwide Children's Hospital, Department of Pediatrics, Internal Medicine, College of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH 43205, USA [2] Division of Cardiology, Department of Internal Medicine, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan 430030, China.

[13] Curcumin: an anti-inflammatory molecule from a curry spice on the path to cancer treatment. Basnet P, Skalko-Basnet N. Drug Transport and Delivery Research Group, Department of Pharmacy, University of Tromsø, Tromsø N-9037, Norway.

[14] Neuroprotective effects of curcumin. Li Y, Wang P. Herbal Pharmacology Laboratory, Dongzhimen Hospital Affiliated to Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, Beijing 100700, China.

[15] Formulation of a medical food cocktail for Alzheimer's disease: beneficial effects on cognition and neuropathology in a mouse model of the disease. Parachikova A, Green KN, Hendrix C, LaFerla FM. Department of Neurobiology and Behavior, Institute for Memory Impairments and Neurological Disorders, University of California Irvine, Irvine, California, United States of America.

[16] Investigational medications for treatment of patients with Alzheimer disease. Potter PE. Department of Pharmacology, Midwestern University/Arizona College of Osteopathic Medicine, Glendale, Arizona 85308-6813, USA.

[17] Uses of turmeric in dentistry: an update. Chaturvedi TP. Division of Orthodontics and General Dentistry, Faculty of Dental Sciences, Institute of Medical Sciences, 4GF Jodhpur Colony, Banaras Hindu University, Varanasi 221005, Uttar Pradesh, India

[18] Curcumin down-regulates visfatin expression and inhibits breast cancer cell invasion. Kim SR, Park HJ, Bae YH, Ahn SC, Wee HJ, Yun I, Jang HO, Bae MK, Bae SK. School of Dentistry, Yangsan Campus of Pusan National University, Yangsan, 626-870, South Korea.

[19]Developing the medicinal plants sector in northern India: challenges and opportunities
Chandra Prakash Kala, Pitamber Prasad Dhyani, and Bikram Singh Sajwan1

[20] Shiva MP. Inventory of Forestry Resources for Sustainable Management and Biodiversity Conservation. New Delhi: Indus Publishing Company; 1996.

[21] Wikipedia article on Vascular plants.

[22] Rao MR, Palada MC, Becker BN. Medicinal and aromatic plants in agro-forestry systems. Agroforestry Systems. 2004;61:107–122. doi: 10.1023/B:AGFO.0000028993.83007.4b.