Curcumin / RadioS Cancer Research Results

CUR, Curcumin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in Turmeric. Member of the ginger family.Curcumin is a polyphenol extracted from turmeric with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Has iron-chelating, iron-chelating properties. Ferritin. But still known to increase Iron in Cancer cells.
- GSH depletion in cancer cells, exhaustion of the antioxidant defense system. But still raises GSH↑ in normal cells.
- Higher concentrations (5-10 μM) of curcumin induce autophagy and ROS production
- Inhibition of TrxR, shifting the enzyme from an antioxidant to a prooxidant
- Strong inhibitor of Glo-I, , causes depletion of cellular ATP and GSH
- Curcumin has been found to act as an activator of Nrf2, (maybe bad in cancer cells?), hence could be combined with Nrf2 knockdown
-may suppress CSC: suppresses self-renewal and pathways (Wnt/Notch/Hedgehog).

Curcumin — Curcumin is a turmeric-derived polyphenolic curcuminoid and diarylheptanoid from Curcuma longa, functionally best classified as a natural-product small molecule / nutraceutical candidate with pleiotropic redox, inflammatory, transcriptional, metabolic, and chemosensitizing activity. The standard abbreviation is CUR. It is the principal active pigment of turmeric rhizome, usually studied as purified curcumin, curcuminoid mixtures, turmeric extract, phytosomal curcumin, liposomal curcumin, nanoparticle curcumin, or piperine-enhanced formulations. Its oncology relevance is mechanistically broad but clinically constrained by poor aqueous solubility, rapid metabolism, low free systemic exposure, formulation variability, and insufficient well-powered cancer outcome trials.

Primary mechanisms (ranked):

  1. Suppression of NF-κB / STAT3 inflammatory-survival signaling, reducing cytokine, COX-2, iNOS, anti-apoptotic, invasion, and treatment-resistance programs.
  2. Biphasic redox modulation: ROS buffering in normal/inflamed tissue but ROS↑, GSH depletion, thioredoxin reductase disruption, and oxidative stress amplification in susceptible cancer models at sufficient exposure.
  3. Mitochondrial injury and intrinsic apoptosis, including mitochondrial membrane potential loss, cytochrome-c release, caspase activation, PARP cleavage, and ER-stress/UPR involvement.
  4. PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathway modulation, contributing to growth arrest, autophagy modulation, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced survival signaling.
  5. Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog/GLI, Notch, and cancer-stem-cell suppression, reducing stemness, EMT, invasion, and recurrence-associated phenotypes in models.
  6. Hypoxia / HIF-1α and glycolysis inhibition, including reduced GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, PKM2, lactate/ECAR, and Warburg-like metabolic support in selected models.
  7. Anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic modulation, including VEGF, MMPs, uPA, CXCR4/SDF-1, TGF-β/α-SMA, FAK, and EMT-related axes.
  8. Epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming, including reported HDAC, DNMT, EZH2, Sp-family, p53, and microRNA-related effects.
  9. NRF2 modulation: generally cytoprotective in normal cells but potentially protective for cancer cells when NRF2 is activated; NRF2 suppression/knockdown can increase curcumin-induced ROS stress in some tumor models.
  10. Chemosensitization and radiosensitization, with parallel normal-tissue protective signals reported in some mucositis, dermatitis, oxidative-stress, and radioprotection contexts.

Bioavailability / PK relevance: Conventional oral curcumin has poor systemic bioavailability because of low solubility, low absorption, rapid conjugation, and rapid elimination. Oral trials have used doses up to gram-level daily dosing, but circulating free curcumin is typically low; measured plasma exposure often reflects conjugated curcumin. Piperine, phospholipid/phytosome, micellar, liposomal, nanoparticle, and other enhanced formulations can raise exposure, but each formulation should be treated as a distinct translational entity. Delivery constraints are central for oncology interpretation.

In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Common in-vitro anticancer concentrations, often in the low-to-mid micromolar range and sometimes higher, frequently exceed achievable free plasma exposure from standard oral curcumin. Therefore, direct systemic anticancer claims from cell culture should be weighted cautiously unless supported by tissue-local exposure, enhanced formulation data, local delivery, IV/liposomal delivery, or clinically measured pharmacodynamic biomarkers.

Clinical evidence status: Preclinical evidence is extensive; human oncology evidence is mainly small human, biomarker, pilot, chemoprevention, adjunctive, symptom-management, and formulation trials. Current authoritative oncology summaries judge evidence inadequate to recommend curcumin-containing products as cancer treatment or as routine adjunct anticancer therapy, although symptom-support areas such as oral mucositis, radiation dermatitis, oxidative-status measures, and quality of life have more suggestive but still confirmatory-level evidence.


Clinical studies testing curcumin in cancer patients have used a range of dosages, often between 500 mg and 8 g per day; however, many studies note that doses on the lower end may not achieve sufficient plasma concentrations for a therapeutic anticancer effect in humans.
• Formulations designed to improve curcumin absorption (like curcumin combined with piperine, nanoparticle formulations, or liposomal curcumin) are often employed in clinical trials to enhance its bioavailability.

-Note half-life 6 hrs.
BioAv is poor, use piperine or other enhancers
Pathways:
- induce ROS production at high concentration. Lowers ROS at lower concentrations
curcumin can act as a pro-oxidant when blue light is applied
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: GSH↓ Catalase↓ HO1↓ GPx↓
but conversely is known as a NRF2↑ activator in cancer
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, SDF1↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓, Sp proteins↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓, TET1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, HK2↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, Notch↓, FGF↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CK2↓, Hh↓, GLi1↓, CD133↓, CD24↓, β-catenin↓, n-myc↓, sox2↓, OCT4↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓, ERK↓, JNK, TrxR**,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Curcumin Cancer Mechanism Ranking

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells TSF Primary Effect Notes / Interpretation
1 NF-κB / STAT3 inflammatory survival signaling NF-κB ↓; STAT3 ↓; IL-6/TNF-α/COX-2/iNOS ↓; Bcl-2/Bcl-xL/survivin programs ↓ Inflammatory tone ↓; tissue-protective anti-inflammatory effect likely context-dependent R/G Reduced survival, inflammation, invasion, and therapy-resistance signaling Most central and industry-relevant axis; explains many downstream effects but is not curcumin-specific.
2 Biphasic redox stress and antioxidant buffering ROS ↑ (dose-dependent); GSH ↓; antioxidant reserve ↓; oxidative apoptosis ↑ ROS ↓; NRF2/SOD/GSH/catalase/HO-1 often ↑ in stress models R/G Selective redox pressure in susceptible tumor cells with normal-cell protection in lower-stress settings Direction depends strongly on concentration, formulation, light exposure, basal redox state, and tumor antioxidant capacity.
3 Thioredoxin reductase and GSH linked redox systems TrxR inhibition or redox cycling ↑; GSH depletion ↑; oxidative stress ↑ Usually buffered or antioxidant response ↑ at non-toxic exposure R/G Collapse of tumor redox compensation Mechanistically important for ROS amplification and radiosensitization; achievable exposure remains a major constraint.
4 Mitochondrial depolarization and intrinsic apoptosis ΔΨm ↓; cytochrome-c ↑; caspase-3/9 ↑; PARP cleavage ↑; apoptosis ↑ Generally ↔ or protected under oxidative/inflammatory stress R/G Execution of apoptosis after upstream redox and survival-signal disruption Central cytotoxic endpoint in many cell models; often downstream of ROS, ER stress, AKT/mTOR suppression, or p53 modulation.
5 PI3K / AKT / mTOR and autophagy balance PI3K ↓; AKT ↓; mTOR ↓; survival signaling ↓; autophagy ↑ or mixed Stress-adaptive autophagy ↔ or ↑ (context-dependent) R/G Growth suppression and apoptosis sensitization Autophagy may be cytotoxic or protective depending on model and timing; combination logic may require autophagy-state interpretation.
6 Wnt / β-catenin / Hedgehog / Notch stemness signaling β-catenin ↓; GLI/Hedgehog ↓; Notch ↓; CD133/CD44/OCT4/SOX2-like stemness markers ↓ Generally ↔; possible normal stem-cell effects are tissue/context-dependent G Reduced cancer stemness, EMT, self-renewal, and recurrence-associated phenotypes Important for anti-metastatic and anti-CSC positioning; evidence is mainly preclinical.
7 HIF-1α / glycolysis / Warburg metabolism HIF-1α ↓; GLUT1 ↓; HK2 ↓; LDHA ↓; PKM2 ↓; lactate/ECAR ↓; ATP stress ↑ Metabolic effects ↔ or adaptive; normal-cell toxicity depends on exposure G Reduced hypoxic adaptation and glycolytic energy support Mechanistically relevant but formulation and tissue exposure are critical; hypoxic tumors may be more relevant than normoxic cell culture.
8 EMT / invasion / metastasis matrix axis EMT ↓; MMP2/MMP9 ↓; uPA ↓; FAK ↓; CXCR4/SDF-1 ↓; migration/invasion ↓ Inflammation-linked remodeling ↓; wound-healing effects context-dependent G Anti-invasive and anti-metastatic phenotype Strongly supported in models; clinical anti-metastatic efficacy is not established.
9 VEGF / angiogenesis / hypoxia interface VEGF ↓; HIF-1α ↓; angiogenic signaling ↓ Angiogenesis modulation ↔ or ↓ (context-dependent) G Reduced tumor vascular-support signaling Overlaps with NF-κB, HIF-1α, STAT3, and inflammatory cytokine suppression.
10 Epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming HDAC ↓; DNMT1/3A ↓; EZH2 ↓; Sp proteins ↓; p53 ↑ or restored in selected models Broad transcriptional effects possible; selectivity uncertain G Reactivation of growth-control and differentiation-associated programs Biologically plausible but highly model-dependent; direct target specificity is lower than pathway-level interpretation.
11 Ferroptosis and iron redox stress Iron/redox stress ↑; lipid peroxidation ↑; GPX4/GSH axis may ↓ (model-dependent) Iron-chelation and antioxidant protection may occur (context-dependent) R/G Potential ferroptosis contribution in susceptible tumor models Curcumin can behave as an iron chelator, antioxidant, or pro-oxidant depending on exposure, formulation, and cancer redox context.
12 NRF2 cytoprotection risk NRF2 ↑ may protect tumor cells; NRF2 depletion can enhance curcumin-induced ROS stress in some models NRF2 ↑ supports antioxidant and anti-inflammatory tissue protection G Dual-edged stress-response modulation Important caution for antioxidant matrix use: NRF2 activation is favorable in normal-cell protection but may be undesirable in NRF2-addicted tumors.
13 Chemosensitization and radiosensitization Chemo response ↑; radiation response ↑; apoptosis ↑; resistance pathways ↓ Chemo/radiation injury may ↓ in mucositis, dermatitis, and oxidative-stress contexts R/G Adjunct sensitization with possible normal-tissue protection Attractive translational axis, but clinical evidence remains mainly pilot/small-study; interaction risk should be checked per regimen.
14 Clinical Translation Constraint Free systemic exposure often insufficient for direct cytotoxic extrapolation from in-vitro micromolar data Enhanced formulations may improve exposure but may also alter safety, liver-risk profile, and interaction potential G Bioavailability and formulation dominate translational interpretation Separate ordinary curcumin, turmeric extract, piperine-enhanced, phytosomal, micellar, liposomal, nanoparticle, and IV/liposomal products where possible.

TSF legend:

P: 0–30 min

R: 30 min–3 hr

G: >3 hr
RadioS, RadioSensitizer: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
A radiosensitizer is an agent that makes cancer cells more sensitive to the damaging effects of radiation therapy. By using a radiosensitizer, clinicians aim to enhance the effectiveness of radiation treatment by either increasing the damage incurred by tumor cells or by interfering with the cancer cells’ repair mechanisms. This can potentially allow for lower doses of radiation, reduced side effects, or improved treatment outcomes.
Pathways that help Radiosensitivity: downregulating HIF-1α, increase SIRT1, Txr

List of Natural Products with radiosensitizing properties:
-Curcumin:modulate NF-κB, STAT3 and has been shown in preclinical studies to enhance the effects of radiation by inhibiting cell survival pathways.
-Resveratrol:
-EGCG:
-Quercetin:
-Genistein:
-Parthenolide:

How radiosensitizers inhibit the thioredoxin (Trx) system in cellular contexts. Notable radiosensitizers, including:
-gold nanoparticles (GNPs),
-gold triethylphosphine cyanide ([Au(SCN) (PEt3)]),
-auranofin, ceria nanoparticles (CONPs),
-curcumin and its derivatives,
-piperlongamide,
-indolequinone derivatives,
-micheliolide,
-motexafin gadolinium, and
-ethane selenide selenidazole derivatives (SeDs)
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
6218- CUR,    Exploring the Thioredoxin System as a Therapeutic Target in Cancer: Mechanisms and Implications
- Review, Var, NA
NF-kB↓, curcumin inhibits, among others, NF-κB and TrxR [177].
TrxR↓,
ROS↑, Several studies show that curcumin leads to an accumulation of ROS in tumor cells, inhibiting metastasis formation and inducing cell death and/or sensitizing the cells to radiation
TumMeta↓,
TumCD↑,
RadioS↑,
BioAv↝, Curcumin exhibits limitations for potential clinical applications due to its poor water solubility. Therefore, analogues have been developed, such as WZ26, which inhibits TrxR and restricts the proliferation and survival of tumor cells
BioAv↑, Phase I trial with theracurmin, a curcumin derivative that demonstrates higher bioavailability than curcumin, it was shown that a combination with irinotecan is safe and well-tolerated in patients with advanced solid tumors

6226- CUR,  Rad,    Analysis of Curcumin as a Radiosensitizer in Cancer Therapy with Serum Survivin Examination: Randomised Control Trial
- Trial, Cerv, NA
survivin↓, In the group treated with curcumin + radiation, 15 (75%) patients had decreased survivin levels, and 5 (25%) patients had increased survivin levels.
RadioS↑, curcumin is an effective, alternative radiosensitizer agent for application in cervical cancer treatment.
toxicity↓, One advantage to curcumin is its low risk of side effects compared with other radiosensitizers. Up to 12 g of curcumin per day does not cause side effects in patients

6224- CUR,    Thioredoxin reductase: An emerging pharmacologic target for radiosensitization of cancer
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, dimethoxycurcumin (DiMC) interacts with side chains E & F of TrxR and inhibits its activity in cell-free system. DiMC significantly increased the radiosensitivity of A549 cells via suppression of TrxR activity.
TrxR↓,

6222- CUR,    Anticancer Molecular Mechanisms of Curcuminoids: An Updated Review of Clinical Trials
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, curcumin has been shown to enhance the efficacy of the conventional anti‐cancer modalities such as radiation and chemotherapy.
ChemoSen↑,
MMPs↓, By suppressing the expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which are enzymes that break down the extracellular matrix and promote cancer cell invasion and metastasis
TumMeta↓,
TumCI↓,
Inflam↓, Inflammation and the advancement of cancer are linked to the NF‐κB signaling pathways, which are also suppressed by curcuminoids.
NF-kB↓,
BioAv↓, curcumin's low bioavailability limits its therapeutic use.
BioAv↑, may be overcome due to recent developments in drug delivery technologies, such as curcumin‐loaded nanoparticles.
MAPK↓, Curcuminoids prevent the activation of a variety of signaling pathways, including the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, and NF‐kB pathways,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
*ROS↓, Many studies have pointed out curcumin's potential to reduce oxidative stress markers significantly in various biological models
*MDA↓, significant decrease in the level of MDA in treated animals was observed, which indicated that curcumin treatment delays the process of lipid peroxidation.
*lipid-P↓,
*Half-Life↓, Curcumin has a short biological half‐life and is poorly soluble in water, which allows understanding the low bioavailability of curcumin after oral administration.
mTOR↓, In breast cancer, curcumin mainly targets PI3K/Akt/mTOR

6214- CUR,    Curcumin Nanoparticles-related Non-invasive Tumor Therapy, and Cardiotoxicity Relieve
TumCD↓, Curcumin plays the antitumor effect by directly promoting tumor cell death and reducing tumor cells' invasive ability.
TumCI↓,
*Inflam↓, curcumin has many pharmacological effects, such as anti-inflammation, antioxidation, antitumor, etc.
*antiOx↓,
*AntiTum↓,
NF-kB↓, Curcumin exerts the therapeutic effect mainly by inhibiting the nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) signal pathway, inhibiting the production of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2),
COX2↓,
Casp9↓, promoting the expression of caspase-9, and directly inducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) production in tumor cells.
ROS↑, Curcumin can induce lethal levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in tumors
BioAv↑, Curcumin nanoparticles can solve curcumin's shortcomings, such as poor water solubility and high metabolic rate, and can be effectively used in antitumor therapy.
RadioS↑, Figure 1, Curcumin Increases Radiosensitivity of Tumor
ChemoSen↑,
Imm↑,
PhotoS↑, Curcumin Mediates the Antitumor Effect of PDT
sonoS↑, Curcumin Mediates the Antitumor Effect of SDT
5LO↓, down-regulating the activities of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), lipoxygenase (LOX), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and so on, reducing the production of proinflammatory cytokines such as IL-2, tumor necrotic factor-α (TNF-α),
iNOS↓,
IL2↓,
TNF-α↓,
Casp9↑, activating intracellular caspase-9 and caspase-3, reducing the expression of p53, inhibiting Bcl2, and promoting the expression of Bax and down-regulating the proportion of Bcl2/Bax
Casp3↑,
Bcl-2↓,
BAX↑,
Apoptosis↑, promote apoptosis by activating caspase-4 and stimulating the Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathway and mitochondria stress pathway in tumor cells [
ER Stress↑,
cycD1/CCND1↓, It reduces the expression of cyclin D1, cyclin kinase-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2), cdc2/cyclin B complex, and other cell cycle-related proteins,
CDK2↓,
CycB/CCNB1↓,
TumCCA↑, blocks tumor cells from G1 / S phase and G2 / M phase, thus exerting an antitumor effect
MMPs↓, curcumin inhibits tumor invasion and metastasis by inhibiting NF-κB and other signaling pathways, such as chemokine and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
*radioP↑, Curcumin can effectively treat and prevent radiation adverse reactions such as radiation dermatitis and radiation pneumonia by reducing the expression of inflammatory factors such as fibrotic cytokines, TNF-α, and IL-1, inhibiting NF-κB signal pathwa
chemoP↑, Protective Effect of Curcumin on Side Effects of Chemotherapy
hepatoP↑, urcumin alleviates the hepatotoxicity caused by chemotherapy through anti-inflammation and antioxidation, reducing the level of liver fibrosis and blood lipids [
cardioP↑, Using curcumin to reduce the cardiotoxicity of chemotherapy can improve the therapeutic effect of tumors and patients' prognosis and quality of life.
eff↑, Curcumin Enhances the Therapeutic Effect of Immunotherapy
PhotoS↑, it has the potential to be a new photosensitizer
eff↑, Curcumin nanoparticles with functions of relieving hypoxia and consuming GSH could improve the ability of curcumin to induce ROS and promote ROS- mediated tumor cell death
ROS↑,
GSH↓,

6212- CUR,  Rad,    Radiosensitization and Radioprotection by Curcumin in Glioblastoma and Other Cancers
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, Although curcumin can sensitize cancer cells to irradiation, healthy cells are much less sensitive to this effect, and thus, curcumin is thought to be a potent, yet safe anti-cancer agent
*radioP↑, curcumin has been found to possess radioprotective properties, since it can lessen inflammatory toxicities associated with radiotherapy, like dermatitis, mucositis, and myelosuppression
EGFR↓, Curcumin can suppress the gene expression of EGFR, and downregulate the TGF-β pathway, thus leading to inhibition of cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAF)
TGF-β↓,
ROS↑, Curcumin can induce ROS generation and suppress DNA repair machinery, thus leading to increased radiation-induced cell death
P53↑, upregulation of both the expression and activity of p53, regulation of the anti-apoptotic PI3K signaling, and suppression of the activity of NF-κB and COX-2
PI3K↓,
NF-kB↓, curcumin increased radiation-induced apoptotic death primarily through inhibition of the NF-κB signaling pathway
COX2↓,
EMT↓, Curcumin was found to suppress radiation-induced EMT resulting in the inhibition of NSCLC migration and invasion
Hif1a↓, inhibition of the expression of both hypoxia-inducible factor 1-alpha (HIF-1a) and heat shock protein 90 (HSP90) proteins and increase in the levels of ROS
HSP90↓,
mTOR↓, In cervical cancer, curcumin has been studied as a potent mTOR inhibitor when given together with irradiation.
*Catalase↑, 40 rats were exposed to curcumin 1 day before irradiation to 3 consecutive days after irradiation, the levels of antioxidant enzymes, including catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), and malondialdehyde (MDA), were found to be considerably eleva
*SOD↑,
*MDA↑,
*Wound Healing↑, treatment with curcumin stimulated wound healing,
*hepatoP↑, curcumin treatment prior to radiation can prevent liver damages, mainly through the modulation of the NF-κB pathway and reduction of oxidative stress (upregulation of SOD, CAD and GSH levels in the curcumin-treated group)
*NF-kB↓,
*ROS↓,

6211- CUR,    The effect of curcumin on hypoxia in the tumour microenvironment as a regulatory factor in cancer
- Review, Var, NA
HIF-1↓, Curcumin, the major component of the rhizomes of Curcuma longa L., reduces HIF-1 levels and function, inhibiting the production of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF).
VEGF↓, Curcumin suppresses the HIF-1 pathway under hypoxia, which decreases VEGF expression in both tumour and stromal cells and suppresses angiogenesis.
angioG↓, curcumin efficiently inhibits the angiogenesis of vascular endothelial cells triggered by hypoxia.
RadioS↑, continued interest in curcumin is the molecules’ modulation of initiation, promotion, and progression stages of cancer while concomitantly acting as a radiosensitizer and chemosensitizer for tumours.
ChemoSen↑, Combining cisplatin with curcumin promotes cell apoptosis through the YWHAG pathway and its interaction with HIF-1α, affecting the pentose phosphorylation pathway [
other↝, Cancer patients with hypoxia in their tumours have a poorer prognosis and are at greater risk of metastasis
Apoptosis↑, Curcumin exerts its unique anti-tumour efficacy primarily via pleiotropic functions resulting in apoptosis and decreased tumour cell growth and metastasis
TumCG↓,
TumMeta↓,
BioAv↓, However, due to its low water solubility and low chemical stability, curcumin’s use is limited.
COX2↓, abrogate the proliferation of pancreatic cancer cells through inhibition of COX-2, CD-31, VEGF, and IL-8 and suppression of TGF-β via NF-κB and HIF-1α downregulation
CD31↓,
IL8↓,
TGF-β↓,
NF-kB↓,
JAK2↓, Curcumin application reduced tumourspheres of H460 cells via inhibition of the JAK2/STAT3 signalling pathway
STAT3↓,

2811- CUR,    Effect of Curcumin Supplementation During Radiotherapy on Oxidative Status of Patients with Prostate Cancer: A Double Blinded, Randomized, Placebo-Controlled Study
- Human, Pca, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin is an antioxidant agent with both radiosensitizing and radioprotective properties
radioP↑,
RadioS∅, In the present study we have failed to observe any radiosensitizing or prooxidant feature for curcumin in the prescribed dose;
*TAC↑, The present study showed that curcumin can increase TAC and decrease SOD activity in the plasma of patients with prostate cancer receiving radiotherapy; these observations are thought to be possibly brought about by the antioxidant effect of curcumin
*SOD↓, 3 mo after completion of radiotherapy, TAC increased significantly (P < 0.001) and the activity of SOD decreased significantly

1485- CUR,  Chemo,  Rad,    Curcumin, the golden spice from Indian saffron, is a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer for tumors and chemoprotector and radioprotector for normal organs
- Review, Var, NA
ChemoSen↑, Such effects of curcumin were due to its ability to sensitize cancer cells for increased production of ROS
NF-kB↓, it downregulates various growth regulatory pathways and specific genetic targets including genes for NF-κB, STAT3, COX2, Akt
*STAT3↓, curcumin acts as a chemosensitizer and radiosensitizer has also been studied extensively. For example, it downregulates various growth regulatory pathways and specific genetic targets including genes for NF-kB, STAT3, COX2, Akt,
*COX2↓,
*Akt↓,
*NRF2↑, The protective effects of curcumin appear to be mediated through its ability to induce the activation of NRF2 and induce the expression of antioxidant enzymes (e.g., hemeoxygenase-1, glutathione peroxidase
*HO-1↑,
*GPx↑,
*NADPH↑,
*GSH↑, increase glutathione (a product of the modulatory subunit of gamma-glutamyl-cysteine ligase)
*ROS↓, dietary curcumin can inhibit chemotherapy-induced apoptosis via inhibition of ROS generation and blocking JNK signaling
*p300↓, inhibit p300 HAT activity
radioP↑, radioprotector for normal organs
chemoP↑, curcumin has also been shown to protect normal organs such as liver, kidney, oral mucosa, and heart from chemotherapy and radiotherapy-induced toxicity.
RadioS↑,

1486- CUR,    Curcumin and lung cancer--a review
- Review, Lung, NA
RadioS↑,
ChemoSen↑,

1487- CUR,    Relationship and interactions of curcumin with radiation therapy
- Review, Var, NA
RadioS↑, overall level of evidence for curcumin as a radiosensitizer and radioprotector is low, it must be recognized that risks of adverse effects are exceedingly low, and clinicians may need to judge the yet-unproven rewards with low toxicity risks.
ChemoSen↑,
NF-kB↓, suppressing NF-κB
radioP↑, substantial volume of evidence exists that curcumin is a radiosensitizer of multiple cancers as well as a radioprotector of several normal tissues.
BioAv↓, Further research is greatly needed to strengthen curcumin’s major weakness - poor gastrointestinal absorption leading to low oral bioavailability.
*toxicity↓, curcumin is extremely safe and not harmful to the cancer patient undergoing radio(chemo)therapy.

1488- CUR,    Anti-Cancer and Radio-Sensitizing Effects of Curcumin in Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma
RadioS↑,
ChemoSen↑,

1980- CUR,  Rad,    Thioredoxin reductase-1 (TxnRd1) mediates curcumin-induced radiosensitization of squamous carcinoma cells
- in-vitro, Cerv, HeLa - in-vitro, Laryn, FaDu
selectivity↑, previously demonstrated that curcumin radiosensitizes cervical tumor cells without increasing the cytotoxic effects of radiation on normal human fibroblasts
RadioS↑,
TrxR↓, inhibitory activity of curcumin on the anti-oxidant enzyme Thioredoxin Reductase-1 (TxnRd1) is required for curcumin-mediated radiosensitization of squamous carcinoma cells
ROS↑, induced reactive oxygen species
ERK↑, sustained ERK1/2 activation
Dose∅, Curcumin treatment resulted in a dose-dependent decrease in TxnRd activity with an IC50 of approximately 10 µM in both cell lines
cl‑PARP↑, curcumin induced a robust increase in cleaved PARP

133- CUR,    Curcumin inhibits prostate cancer by targeting PGK1 in the FOXD3/miR-143 axis
- in-vitro, Pca, DU145 - in-vitro, Pca, PC3
miR-143↑, Curcumin treatment significantly upregulated miR-143 and decreased prostate cancer cell proliferation and migration.
PDK1↓, curcumin treatment inhibited PGK1 expression
FOXD3↑, Curcumin time-dependently upregulated FOXD3, which accounted for the escalating miR-143 levels with the duration of curcumin treatment.
TumCP↓, Furthermore, we showed that silencing miR-143 abrogated the effect of curcumin in inhibiting cell proliferation and migration.
TumCMig↓,
*Inflam↓, pharmaceutical properties of curcumin include antiinflammatory, antioxidant, chemo-preventative, and chemotherapeutic properties
*antiOx↑,
*chemoPv↑,
RadioS↑, underlying mechanism of curcumin in prostate cancer therapy, potentiating the clinical utility of curcumin as a chemo-preventive, chemotherapeutic, radio-, and drug-sensitizing agent.
ChemoSen↑,

12- CUR,    Curcumin inhibits the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway and triggers apoptosis in medulloblastoma cells
- in-vitro, MB, DAOY
HH↓, Curcumin inhibits the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway
Shh↓, curcumin inhibited the Shh-Gli1 signaling pathway by downregulating the Shh protein
Gli1↓,
PTCH1↓,
cMyc↓,
n-MYC↓,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
Bcl-2↓,
NF-kB↓,
Akt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓, curcumin reduced the levels of beta-catenin
survivin↓,
Apoptosis↑, Consequently, apoptosis was triggered by curcumin through the mitochondrial pathway via downregulation of Bcl-2, a downstream anti-apoptotic effector of the Shh signaling.
ChemoSen↑, curcumin enhances the killing efficiency of nontoxic doses of cisplatin and gamma-rays.
RadioS↑,
eff↑, we present clear evidence that piperine, an enhancer of curcumin bioavailability in humans

14- CUR,    Curcumin, a Dietary Component, Has Anticancer, Chemosensitization, and Radiosensitization Effects by Down-regulating the MDM2 Oncogene through the PI3K/mTOR/ETS2 Pathway
- vitro+vivo, Pca, PC3
PI3K/mTOR/ETS2↓, Curcumin inhibited PI3K activity, as manifested by changes in the phosphorylation status of Akt
MDM2↓, curcumin reduced the expression of MDM2
P21↑,
Apoptosis↑, Curcumin induced apoptosis and inhibited proliferation of PC3 cells in culture
TumCP↓,
eff↑, Curcumin also inhibited the growth of these cells and enhanced the cytotoxic effects of gemcitabine.
RadioS↑, enhanced the antitumor effects of gemcitabine and radiation

4667- RES,  CUR,  SFN,    Physiological modulation of cancer stem cells by natural compounds: Insights from preclinical models
- Review, Var, NA
CSCs↓, phytochemicals such as resveratrol, curcumin, sulforaphane, and others suppress CSC-associated pathways as well as sensitize CSCs to chemotherapy and radiotherapy
ChemoSen↑,
RadioS↑,
ALDH↓, deplete ALDH+ or CD44+ CSC pools, which ultimately decrease tumor initiation and recurrence.
CD44↓,
Wnt↓, graphical abstract
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
NOTCH↓,
HH↓,
NF-kB↓,

6220- Se,  CUR,  Rad,    Selenium-Curcumin-PEG Nanoparticles Radiosensitization for Intensity-Modulated Radiation Therapy of Lung Tumor Cells: In Vitro Synergistic Combination Therapy
- in-vitro, Lung, A549
RadioS↑, The combination of Se-Cur-PEG NPs (50 µg mL-1) with IMRT (4 Gy) resulted in a significant enhancement in cell death compared to either treatment alone, indicating a strong synergistic effect (CI=1.21) and a notable sensitizer enhancement ratio (SER=2
TumCD↑,
ROS↑, Intracellular ROS generation analysis confirmed that Se-Cur-PEG NPs amplified IMRT-induced oxidative stress, contributing to increased cancer cell toxicity.
Imm↑, Selenium, a trace element with powerful antioxidant and anticancer properties, enhances oxidative stress in tumor cells, sensitizing them to radiation while modulating immune responses and inhibiting angiogenesis
angioG↓,
BioAv↑, Polyethylene glycol improves the biocompatibility and stability of nanoparticles, prolonging circulation time and enabling efficient tumor targeting by minimizing immune clearance
TumCP↓, Curcumin, a bioactive polyphenol, provides a broad spectrum of anticancer effects, including the inhibition of cell proliferation, induction of apoptosis, and suppression of metastasis.
Apoptosis↓,
TumMeta↓,


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 18 of 18

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 18

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

GSH↓, 1,   ROS↑, 6,   TrxR↓, 3,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

cMyc↓, 1,   PDK1↓, 1,   PI3K/mTOR/ETS2↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 2,   Apoptosis↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 4,   BAX↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Casp3↑, 1,   Casp9↓, 1,   Casp9↑, 1,   iNOS↓, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,   MDM2↓, 1,   survivin↓, 2,   TumCD↓, 1,   TumCD↑, 2,  

Kinase & Signal Transduction ⓘ

FOXD3↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

miR-143↑, 1,   other↝, 1,   PhotoS↑, 2,   sonoS↑, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

ER Stress↑, 1,   HSP90↓, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

P53↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK2↓, 1,   CycB/CCNB1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 2,   P21↑, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ALDH↓, 1,   CD44↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 1,   EMT↓, 1,   ERK↑, 1,   Gli1↓, 1,   HH↓, 2,   mTOR↓, 2,   n-MYC↓, 1,   NOTCH↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 2,   PTCH1↓, 1,   Shh↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,   TumCG↓, 1,   Wnt↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

5LO↓, 1,   CD31↓, 1,   MMPs↓, 2,   TGF-β↓, 2,   TumCI↓, 2,   TumCMig↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 3,   TumMeta↓, 4,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 2,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 2,   EGFR↓, 1,   HIF-1↓, 1,   Hif1a↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 3,   IL2↓, 1,   IL8↓, 1,   Imm↑, 2,   Inflam↓, 1,   JAK2↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 9,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 3,   BioAv↑, 4,   BioAv↝, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 10,   Dose∅, 1,   eff↑, 4,   RadioS↑, 17,   RadioS∅, 1,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

EGFR↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,   chemoP↑, 2,   hepatoP↑, 1,   radioP↑, 3,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 87

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↓, 1,   antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 1,   MDA↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 3,   SOD↓, 1,   SOD↑, 1,   TAC↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

NADPH↑, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

p300↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 2,   NF-kB↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Half-Life↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiTum↓, 1,   chemoPv↑, 1,   hepatoP↑, 1,   radioP↑, 2,   toxicity↓, 1,   Wound Healing↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 28

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: RadioS, RadioSensitizer
18 Curcumin
5 Radiotherapy/Radiation
1 Chemotherapy
1 Resveratrol
1 Sulforaphane (mainly Broccoli)
1 Selenium
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells

Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:65  Target#:1107  State#:%  Dir#:%
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