[Frontiers in Bioscience S2, 697-717, January 1, 2010]

Novel aspects for the application of Curcumin in chemoprevention of various cancers

Beatrice E. Bachmeier1, Peter Killian1, Ulrich Pfeffer2, Andreas G. Nerlich3

1Department of Clinical Chemistry and Clinical Biochemistry, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Germany, 2Functional Genomics, National Research Cancer Institute, Genoa, Italy, 3Institute of Pathology, Academic Clinic Munich-Bogenhausen, Munich, Germany

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Abstract
2. Introduction
2. Introduction
3. Curcumin -plant, chemistry and bioavailability
4. Presumed chemopreventive anti-cancer activities of Curcumin
4.1. Apoptosis, proliferation and cell cycle arrest
4.2. Antioxidant activities
4.3. Inhibition of tumor-progression on the level of transcription
4.4. The anti-cancer effects of Curcumin by interfering with microRNAs
4.5. MMP expression
4.6. Tumor cell invasion
4.7. Metastasis
5. Curcumin's anti-inflammatory action and its impact on tumor progression
6. Epidemiology of Curcumin consumption and cancer - an indirect approach to anti-tumor effects
7. Clinical studies of Curcumin in tumors
8. Perspective - Curcumin as chemopreventive agent and the impact on tumor propagation
9. References

1. ABSTRACT

Chemoprevention of malignant tumor growth is a novel and potentially powerful approach for tumor therapy. Recent in vitro and in vivo investigations provide increasing evidence that naturally occurring substances may exhibit significant chemopreventive activities. To this regard, the spice Curcumin, widely used in Indian cuisine, has been identified to show considerable anti-tumor effects. Most interestingly, numerous studies have not shown toxic side effects of this substance. Curcumin induces tumor cell apoptosis along with a reduction of tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Recent molecular studies provide evidence that Curcumin acts via a control of the NFkappaB pathway exerting most of the various modulating and moderating effects on malignant cells. Along with these in vitro studies, ex vivo and first clinical investigations confirm the anti-tumor effects of Curcumin, either as an isolated chemoprevention substance or in combination with chemotherapeutic agents as supportive measure reducing pharmaceutical resistance of tumor cells to certain chemotherapeutics. Despite our increasing knowledge on this interesting substance there still remain many unknown effects that deserve intense investigation.