Curcumin / Akt 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):

Suppression of NF-κB / STAT3 inflammatory-survival signaling, reducing cytokine, COX-2, iNOS, anti-apoptotic, invasion, and treatment-resistance programs.
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.
Mitochondrial injury and intrinsic apoptosis, including mitochondrial membrane potential loss, cytochrome-c release, caspase activation, PARP cleavage, and ER-stress/UPR involvement.
PI3K/AKT/mTOR and MAPK pathway modulation, contributing to growth arrest, autophagy modulation, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced survival signaling.
Wnt/β-catenin, Hedgehog/GLI, Notch, and cancer-stem-cell suppression, reducing stemness, EMT, invasion, and recurrence-associated phenotypes in models.
Hypoxia / HIF-1α and glycolysis inhibition, including reduced GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, PKM2, lactate/ECAR, and Warburg-like metabolic support in selected models.
Anti-angiogenic and anti-metastatic modulation, including VEGF, MMPs, uPA, CXCR4/SDF-1, TGF-β/α-SMA, FAK, and EMT-related axes.
Epigenetic and transcriptional reprogramming, including reported HDAC, DNMT, EZH2, Sp-family, p53, and microRNA-related effects.
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.
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

Akt, PKB-Protein kinase B: Click to Expand ⟱

Source: HalifaxProj(inhibit)

Type:

Akt1 is involved in cellular survival pathways, by inhibiting apoptotic processes; Akt2 is an important signaling molecule in the insulin signaling pathway. It is required to induce glucose transport.

Inhibitors:
-Curcumin: downregulate AKT phosphorylation and signaling.
-Resveratrol
-Quercetin: inhibit the PI3K/AKT pathway.
-Epigallocatechin Gallate (EGCG)
-Luteolin and Apigenin: inhibit AKT phosphorylation

Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱

4710-

CUR,

Curcumin inhibits migration and invasion of non-small cell lung cancer cells through up-regulation of miR-206 and suppression of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling pathway

in-vitro,

Lung,

A549

TumCMig↓, Curcumin significantly inhibited migration and invasion in A549 cells, accompanied by significantly elevated miR-206 expression.
TumCI↓,
miR-206↑, Overexpression of miR-206 could inhibit migration and invasion of A549 cells, but it could also significantly decrease the phosphorylation levels of mTOR and AKT.
p‑mTOR↓,
p‑Akt↓,

6227-

CUR,

Revisiting Curcumin in Cancer Therapy: Recent Insights into Molecular Mechanisms, Nanoformulations, and Synergistic Combinations

Review,

Var,

Wnt↓, By targeting multiple molecular pathways, including Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/Akt/mTOR, JAK/STAT3, MAPK, NF-κB, and Notch, curcumin suppresses cancer growth and induces apoptosis.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
JAK↓,
STAT3↓,
MAPK↓,
NF-kB↓,
NOTCH↓,
TumCG↓,
Apoptosis↑,
GSK‐3β↓, curcumin directly targets β-catenin and key Wnt/β-catenin regulators, including Dvl-2, Dvl-3, and GSK-3β.
cMyc↓, curcumin downregulates downstream oncogenic effectors such as c-Myc and Survivin while upregulating Axin-2, thereby inducing G2/M cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
survivin↓,
Axin2↑,
TumCCA↑,
PTEN↑, curcumin upregulates PTEN expression, restoring its negative regulatory effect on the PI3K/Akt pathway.
P53↑, Curcumin’s activation and stabilization of p53 have been demonstrated in multiple cancer cell lines
ROS↑, In cervical cancer cells, curcumin induced apoptosis and ROS accumulation. Curcumin treatment elevated cleaved caspase-3 and PARP levels, markers of apoptosis.
Casp3↑,
PARP↑,
Ferroptosis↑, Ferroptosis Induction by Curcumin
angioG↓, Curcumin Inhibits Angiogenesis, Invasion, and Metastasis in Cancer Cells
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
BioAv↓, curcumin’s clinical translation is limited by its poor bioavailability, rapid metabolism, and low systemic stability.
Half-Life↓,
ChemoSen↑, Synergistic Effects of Curcumin with Chemotherapy and Nanoparticle-Based Drug Delivery Systems

6223-

CUR,

Curcumin Rewires the Tumor Metabolic Landscape: Mechanisms and Clinical Prospects

Review,

Var,

Ferroptosis↑, including the induction of ferroptosis by regulating the SLC7A11/GPX4 axis
GutMicro↑, and modulating gut microbiota metabolism. I
Akt↓, it inhibits pro-tumorigenic signals such as Akt/mTOR, NF-κB, Wnt/β-catenin, and STAT3, thereby blocking tumor proliferation, invasion, and metastasis
mTOR↓,
NF-kB↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
STAT3↓,
TumCP↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
AMPK↑, activates tumor-suppressive and cytoprotective pathways, including AMPK, p53, and nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2), which induce cell cycle arrest and apoptosis
P53↑,
NRF2↑,
TumCCA↑,
Apoptosis↑,
Casp↑, activation of the Caspase cascade
GPx4↓, as well as ferroptosis by inhibiting the solute carrier family 7 member 11 (SLC7A11)/glutathione peroxidase 4 (GPX4) axis [5]
DNMTs↓, inhibiting epigenetic regulatory mechanisms such as DNMTs and HDACs.
HDAC↓,
VEGF↓, inhibiting VEGF signaling and enhances the immune microenvironment by improving T cell and NK cell function
Imm↑,
NK cell↑,
Warburg↓, Curcumin effectively reverses the Warburg effect and interferes with glucose metabolism by targeting HIF-1α and inhibiting key enzymes, including hexokinase 2 (HK2), pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2), and lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA)
Hif1a↓,
HK2↓,
PKM2↓,
LDHA↓,
GLUT1↓, as well as the functions of glucose transporter 1 (GLUT1) and monocarboxylate transporters (MCTs) [12].
MCT1↓,
AMPK↑, curcumin activates signaling pathways such as AMPK, downregulates fatty acid synthase (FASN) and stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD1),
FASN↓,
SCD1↓,
GLS↓, Curcumin extensively intervenes in amino acid metabolism by inhibiting the activity of glutaminase (GLS), ornithine decarboxylase (ODC), and other enzymes,
Apoptosis↑, inducing apoptosis through mechanisms such as disrupting the electron transport chain, reducing membrane potential, and promoting the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS)
ETC↓,
MMP↓,
ROS↑,
lipid-P↑, curcumin induces lipid peroxidation and collapses redox homeostasis, thereby activating the ferroptosis program [
ChemoSen↑, blocking invasion and metastasis, and enhancing chemosensitivity.
PDK1↓, In hypoxic pancreatic cancer cells, curcumin downregulates the expression of GLUT1, HK2, LDHA, and PDK1 by inhibiting the Beclin1/HIF-1α axis, which results in reduced ATP production and inhibited cell proliferation [
Beclin-1↓,
ATP↓,
Glycolysis↓, inhibiting glycolysis
GlucoseCon↓, decreased glucose uptake and increased lactate production
lactateProd↑,
MMPs↓, reduces MMP, GSH, and G6PD activities
GSH↓, inhibition of SLC7A11 to limit GSH synthesis, thereby triggering the collapse of the antioxidant defense system
G6PD↓,
OXPHOS↓, downregulate OXPHOS and glycolysis activities
SREBP2↓, curcumin treatment leads to a marked downregulation of the mRNA expression of SREBP and its target genes. inhibiting the expression of NPC1L1, SREBP-2, and HNF1α
COX2↓, curcumin exerts anti-tumor effects by downregulating the expression of NF-κB, COX-2, and AP-1
AP-1↓,
NADH↓, decreased GPx4 and FSP1 expression, induced ferroptosis by inhibiting GSH-GPx4 and FSP1-CoQ 10-NADH pathways
NRF2↑, it inhibits GPX4 and activates Nrf2 and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1). This results in an abnormal accumulation of intracellular Fe2+, ROS, lipid peroxides, and malondialdehyde (MDA), along with a depletion of GSH
HO-1↑,
Iron↑,
MDA↑,
*ROS↓, studies have demonstrated that the topical application of curcumin on the skin exerts antitumor effects by synergistically downregulating COX-2 and ODC activities, alleviating oxidative damage, and concurrently inhibiting inflammatory proliferation i
*Inflam↓,

6222-

CUR,

Anticancer Molecular Mechanisms of Curcuminoids: An Updated Review of Clinical Trials

Review,

Var,

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

6219-

CUR,

Natural Products and Altered Metabolism in Cancer: Therapeutic Targets and Mechanisms of Action

Review,

Var,

PI3K↓, blocking the PI3K/Akt pathway and its downstream NF-κB protein expression
Akt↓,
NF-kB↓,
BioAv↑, Piperine is a bioavailability enhancer for several chemotherapeutic agents, such as resveratrol and curcumin.
GSK‐3β↓, blocking the ILK/GSK-3β/slug signaling pathway.
Slug↓,
Cyt‑c↑, 0, 9, 18 of piperine and 36 µM curcumin for 24 h Leukemia (HL60) Release of mitochondrial cytochrome-c, which further initiates caspase-9/3 mediated cell apoptosis.
Casp3↑,
Casp9↑,

6217-

CUR,

Curcumin: a therapeutic strategy in cancers by inhibiting the canonical WNT/β-catenin pathway

Review,

Var,

Wnt↓, Curcumin administration participates to the downregulation of the WNT/β-catenin pathway and thus, through this action, in tumor growth control.
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
PPARγ↑, Curcumin stimulates PPARγ
Akt↓, Curcumin inhibits Akt pathway
*ROS↓, (1) Curcumin reduces oxidative
*Inflam↓, (2) Curcumin reduces chronic inflammation
Bcl-2↓, (4) Curcumin downregulates WNT pathway and its target genes, inhibits Bcl-2 and activates GSK-3beta;
GSK‐3β↑,
NF-kB↓, (5) Curcumin inhibits NF-ϰB and COX-2
COX2↓,

6216-

CUR,

Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials

Review,

Var,

TumCG↓, Curcumin can prevent tumor growth, angiogenesis, epithelial–mesenchymal transition, invasion, and metastasis by modulating the expression of tumor-related non-coding RNA (ncRNA)
angioG↓,
EMT↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
*GutMicro↑, curcumin plays a crucial role in regulating the gut microbiota via biotransformation of curcumin and its metabolites.
*BioAv↓, one of the primary drawbacks of taking curcumin alone is its low bioavailability, which appears to be caused by poor absorption, fast metabolism, and excretion
*HO-1↑, Curcumin is an efficient inducer of hemoxygenase-1 and a powerful inhibitor of reactive oxygen-generating enzymes, such as cyclooxygenase (COX), inducible nitric oxygen synthase (iNOS), lipoxygenase, and xanthine dehydrogenase/oxidase
*ROS↓,
*COX2↓,
*iNOS↓,
PKCδ↓, Curcumin is also a powerful inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC), tyrosine kinase, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), and IB kinase.
EGFR↓,
NF-kB↓, It suppresses NF-κB activation and the expression of oncogenes, such as c-jun, c-fos, c-myc, Akt, PI3K, cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK)
cJun↓,
cFos↓,
cMyc↓,
Akt↓,
PI3K↓,
CDK4↓,
*TNF-α↓, Continuous supplementation with nanocurcumin (two 40 mg capsules/day after a meal) for 3 months suppressed expression of inflammatory tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), high sensitive protein with C-reactive protein (CRP), and interleukin-6 (IL-6)
*CRP↓,
*IL6↓,
MMP9↓, curcumin suppressed metastasis to the lung by suppressing NF-κB, MMP-9, COX-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression.
VEGF↓,
JAK↓, Curcumin remarkably inhibits JAK/STAT signaling by downregulating pro-inflammatory interleukins, such as IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and MCP-1.
STAT↓,
IL1↓,
IL2↓,
IL6↓,
IL8↓,
IL12↓,
MCP1↓,
Apoptosis↑, It promotes apoptosis and ER stress by targeting phosphorylated protein kinase-like ER-resident kinase,
ER Stress↑,
5LO↓, inhibiting lipoxygenase and xanthine oxidase activity
XO↓,
*NRF2↑, The expression of nuclear factors erythroid 2-related factor (Nrf2) and heme oxygenase 1 (HO-1) is boosted by curcumin
*HO-1↑,
*AChE↓, Curcumin also inhibits the key enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and p300, a positive regulator of the Wnt/β-catenin pathway
*neuroP↑, Curcumin has also been suggested to prevent and cure neurotoxicity by replenishing dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid levels.
*glucose↓, remarkably lowers blood glucose levels and improves insulin resistance by reducing hepatic glucose synthesis, inhibiting inflammatory reactions produced by hyperglycemia,
*GLUT2↑, boosting glucose transporters 2 (GLUT2), 3 (GLUT3), and 4 (GLUT4) gene expression, enhancing glucose uptake, and activating the AMPK signaling pathway.
*GLUT3↑,
*GLUT4↑,
*GlucoseCon↑,
*AMPK↑,
*BMD↑, Supplementation with nanomicelle curcumin (80 mg) alone or in combination with Nigella sativa oil (1000 mg) for 2–6 months increased plasma levels of miRNA-21 in postmenopausal women with low bone mass density.
*MDA↓, (1000 mg/day) for 8 weeks reduced serum levels of malondialdehyde (MDA) and high-sensitivity CRP (hs-CRP) and increased the total antioxidant capacity in 81 healthy postmenopausal women
*eff↑, Loriczova et al. demonstrated that iron (18 mg and 65 mg) supplementation along with curcumin (500 mg) reduces iron-induced systemic inflammation by reducing plasma levels of TNF-α
eff↑, high-dose vitamin C (25–100 g/day) along with oral nutrient supplementation including curcumin (1–3 g/day) had improved QoL and survival
P53↑, Curcumin was also reported to induce p53 and Bax expression in patients with colorectal cancer, causing apoptosis and DNA fragmentation and suppressing TNF-α and Bcl-2.
BAX↑,
DNAdam↑,
Bcl-2↓,
CSCs↓, The combination of curcumin, 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) and oxaliplatin (FOLFOX) in colorectal liver metastases reduced stem cell markers, such as aldehyde dehydrogenase and CD133.
ALDH↓,
CD133↑,

6215-

CUR,

Curcumin: biochemistry, pharmacology, advanced drug delivery systems, and its epigenetic role in combating cancer

Review,

Var,

*antiOx↑, Curcumin exerts potent antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer effects by modulating multiple signaling pathways, including NF-κB, PI3K/Akt, and Wnt/β-catenin.
*Inflam↓,
*BioAv↓, curcumin’s clinical application is limited by poor solubility, rapid metabolism, and low systemic bioavailability.
NF-kB↓, graphical abstract
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
DNMTs↓,
TumCI↓,
TumMeta↓,
*BioAv↑, Advanced drug delivery systems such as nanoparticles, liposomes, and micelles have been developed to address these challenges. These systems enhance curcumin’s solubility, stability, and targeted delivery, improving therapeutic efficacy while minimiz
*BioAv↑, coadministration with piperine, lipid-based formulations, and nanoparticle microencapsulation have been developed. Piperine has been shown to increase curcumin absorption by up to 2000 percent
angioG↓, Curcumin is also known for its antiangiogenic action through its inhibitory activity against vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)
VEGF↓,
MMPs↓,
*ROS↓, suppresses oxidative stress by scavenging free radicals and enhancing the activity of endogenous antioxidant enzymes such as superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase
*SOD↑,
*Catalase↑,
*GSTs↑, timulating phase II detoxifying enzymes such as glutathione S-transferase (GST), UDP-glucuronosyltransferase, and heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1).
*HO-1↑,
*NRF2↑, It also enhances the activity of the transcription factor Nrf2, which regulates genes crucial for cellular redox homeostasis and safeguarding cells against oxidative damage
mTOR↓, 0 to 50 μM, treatment was associated with decreased phosphorylation of Akt kinase (Akt), mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), glycogen synthase kinase (GSK3β), Forkhead box protein O1 (FOXO1), and other proteins
GSK‐3β↓,
FOXO1↓,
*radioP↑, Reduced radiation-induced dermatitis and inflammatory cytokine expression (IL-1, IL-6, TNF-α)
*IL1↓,
*IL6↓,
*TNF-α↓,
HATs↓, curcumin has been described as an agent that reduces histone acetylation by inhibiting HAT (histone acetyltransferases), such as the p300/CBP family of proteins
HDAC↓, curcumin has been detected to be an HDI and has the ability to inhibit the expressions of HDACs, like HDAC1, HDAC3, and HDAC8,
ROS↑, Elevating the levels of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in colon adenocarcinoma cells is one of the outcomes of treatment with curcumin, which results in a decline in cell proliferation and viability
ROS↑, at higher concentrations or in the presence of transition metal ions (e.g. Cu2+, Fe2+/Fe3+), curcumin can paradoxically act as a pro-oxidant.
MMP↓, Excess ROS damages mitochondrial membranes, oxidizes nucleic acids, lipids, and proteins, and activates apoptotic cascades via cytochrome c release and caspase activation
Casp↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
COX1↓, curcumin acts as a partial and condition-dependent inhibitor of both COX-1 and COX-2.
COX2↓,
PGE2↓, At lower or therapeutic concentrations, curcumin predominantly downregulates COX-2 and reduces prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) synthesis.
*cytoP450↓, curcumin’s capacity to inhibit cytochrome P450 enzymes may influence the metabolism of numerous medicines over extended durations.
ChemoSen↑, curcumin has been integrated with standard chemotherapy agents, including doxorubicin, cisplatin, and paclitaxel, to enhance cancer treatment efficacy
cardioP↑, co-delivery of curcumin and doxorubicin via nanoparticles improved anticancer effectiveness and decreased cardiotoxicity.
eff↑, concurrent treatment of curcumin and resveratrol has demonstrated increased anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties

2821-

CUR,

Antioxidant curcumin induces oxidative stress to kill tumor cells (Review)

Review,

Var,

*antiOx↑, Curcumin is a plant polyphenol in turmeric root and a potent antioxidant
*NRF2↑, regulation by nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2, thereby suppressing reactive oxygen species (ROS) and exerting anti-inflammatory, anti-infective and other pharmacological effects
*ROS↓,
*Inflam↓,
ROS↑, Of note, curcumin induces oxidative stress in tumors. curcumin-induced accumulation of ROS in tumors to kill tumor cells has been noted in several studies
p‑ERK↑, Curcumin promoted ERK/JNK phosphorylation, causing elevated ROS levels and triggering mitochondria-dependent apoptosis
ER Stress↑, Curcumin triggered disturbances in Ca2+ homeostasis, leading to endoplasmic reticulum stress, mitochondrial damage and apoptosis
mtDam↑,
Apoptosis↑,
Akt↓, Curcumin inhibited the AKT/mTOR/p70S6K signaling pathway
mTOR↓,
HO-1↑, Curcumin-induced HO-1 overexpression led to a disturbed intracellular iron distribution and triggered the Fenton reaction
Fenton↑,
GSH↓, Non-small cell lung cancer: Curcumin induced a decrease in GSH and an increase in ROS levels and iron accumulation
Iron↑,
p‑JNK↑, Curcumin causes mitochondrial damage by promoting phosphorylation of ERK and JNK, resulting in the increased release of ROS and cytochrome c into the cytoplasm, thereby triggering a mitochondrion-dependent pathway of apoptosis
Cyt‑c↑,
ATF6↑, thyroid cancer with curcumin, both activating transcription factor (ATF) 6 and the ER stress marker C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP) were activated by curcumin and Ca2+-ATPase activity was also affected.
CHOP↑,

2979-

CUR,

GB,

Curcumin overcome primary gefitinib resistance in non-small-cell lung cancer cells through inducing autophagy-related cell death

in-vitro,

Lung,

H157

in-vitro,

Lung,

H1299

EGFR↓, Combination treatment with curcumin and gefitinib markedly downregulated EGFR activity through suppressing Sp1 and blocking interaction of Sp1 and HADC1,
Sp1/3/4↓,
ERK↓, and markedly suppressed receptor tyrosine kinases as well as ERK/MEK and AKT/S6K pathways in the resistant NSCLC cells.
MEK↓,
Akt↓,
S6K↓,

3861-

CUR,

Curcumin as a novel therapeutic candidate for cancer: can this natural compound revolutionize cancer treatment?

Review,

Var,

*antiOx↑, fig 1
*Inflam↓,
PI3K↓, By inhibiting pro-survival and pro-inflammatory signaling cascades such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, Hedgehog, Notch, and JAK/STAT3, curcumin effectively impedes cancer cell growth and promotes apoptosis.
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
Wnt↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
NF-kB↓,
HH↓,
NOTCH↓,
JAK↓,
STAT3↓,
ADAM10↓, Curcumin may inhibit the function of the Notch pathway in cancer by inhibiting Notch pathway activators such as gamma secretases, Notch ligands, or ADAM10.

3576-

CUR,

Protective Effects of Indian Spice Curcumin Against Amyloid-β in Alzheimer's Disease

Review,

AD,

*Inflam↓, known to have protective effects, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, anti-arthritis, pro-healing, and boosting memory cognitive functions.
*antiOx↑,
*memory↑,
*Aβ↓, curcumin prevents Aβ aggregation and crosses the blood-brain barrier,
*BBB↑,
*cognitive↑, curcumin ameliorates cognitive decline and improves synaptic functions in mouse models of AD
*tau↓, curcumin's effect on inhibition of A and tau,copper binding ability, cholesterol lowering ability, anti-inflammatory and modulation of microglia, acetylcholinesterase (AChE) inhibition, antioxidant properties,
*LDL↓,
*AChE↓,
*IL1β↓, Curcumin reduced the levels of oxidized proteins and IL1B in the brains of APP mice
*IronCh↑, Curcumin binds to redox-active metals, iron and copper
*neuroP↑, Curcumin, a neuroprotective agent, has poor brain bioavailability.
*BioAv↝,
*PI3K↑, They found that curcumin significantly upregulates phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3K), Akt, nuclear factor E2-related factor-2 (Nrf2), heme oxygenase 1, and ferritin expression
*Akt↑,
*NRF2↑,
*HO-1↑,
*Ferritin↑,
*HO-2↓, and that it significantly downregulates heme oxygenase 2, ROS, and A40/42 expression.
*ROS↓,
*Ach↑, significant increase in brain ACh, glutathione, paraoxenase, and BCL2 levels with respect to untreated group associated with significant decrease in brain AChE activity,
*GSH↑,
*Bcl-2↑,
*ChAT↑, nvestigation revealed that the selected treatments caused marked increase in ChAT positive cells.

2688-

CUR,

Effects of resveratrol, curcumin, berberine and other nutraceuticals on aging, cancer development, cancer stem cells and microRNAs

Review,

Var,

Review,

AD,

*ROS↓, CUR reduced the production of ROS
*SOD↑, CUR also upregulated the expression of superoxide dismutase (SOD) genes
p16↑, The effects of CUR on gene expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts obtained from breast cancer patients has been examined. CUR increased the expression of the p16INK4A and other tumor suppressor proteins
JAK2↓, CUR decreased the activity of the JAK2/STAT3 pathway
STAT3↓,
CXCL12↓, and many molecules involved in cellular growth and metastasis including: stromal cell-derived factor-1 (SDF-1), IL-6, MMP2, MMP9 and TGF-beta
IL6↓,
MMP2↓,
MMP9↓,
TGF-β↓,
α-SMA↓, These effects reduced the levels of alpha-smooth muscle actin (alpha-SMA) which was attributed to decreased migration and invasion of the cells.
LAMs↓, CUR suppressed Lamin B1 and
DNAdam↑, induced DNA damage-independent senescence in proliferating but not quiescent breast stromal fibroblasts in a p16INK4A-dependent manner.
*memory↑, CUR has recently been shown to suppress memory decline by suppressing beta-site amyloid precursor protein cleaving enzyme 1 (BACE1= Beta-secretase 1, an important gene in AD) expression which is implicated in beta-amyoid pathology in 5xFAD transgenic
*cognitive↑, CUR was found to decrease adiposity and improve cognitive function in a similar fashion as CR in 15-month-old mice.
*Inflam↓, The effects of CUR and CR were positively linked with anti-inflammatory or antioxidant actions
*antiOx↑,
*NO↑, CUR treatment increased nNOS expression, acidity and NO concentration
*MDA↓, CUR treatment resulted in decreased levels of MDA
*ROS↓, CUR treatment was determined to cause reduction of ROS in the AMD-RPEs and protected the cells from H2O2-induced cell death by reduction of ROS levels.
DNMT1↓, CUR has been shown to downregulate the expression of DNA methyl transferase I (DNMT1)
ROS↑, induction of ROS and caspase-3-mediated apoptosis
Casp3↑,
Apoptosis↑,
miR-21↓, CUR was determined to decrease both miR-21 and anti-apoptotic protein expression.
LC3II↓, CUR also induced proteins associated with cell death such as LC3-II and other proteins in U251 cells
ChemoSen↑, The combined CUR and temozolomide treatment resulted in enhanced toxicity in U-87 glioblastoma cells.
NF-kB↓, suppression of NF-kappaB activity
CSCs↓, Dendrosomal curcumin increased the expression of miR-145 and decreased the expression of stemness genes including: NANOG, OCT4A, OCT4B1, and SOX2 [113]
Nanog↓,
OCT4↓,
SOX2↓,
eff↑, A synergistic interaction was observed when emodin and CUR were combined in terms of inhibition of cell growth, survival and invasion.
Sp1/3/4↓, CUR inducing ROS which results in suppression of specificity protein expression (SP1, SP3 and SP4) as well as miR-27a.
miR-27a-3p↓,
ZBTB10↑, downregulation of miR-27a by CUR, increased expression of ZBTB10 occurred
SOX9?, This resulted in decreased SOX9 expression.
ChemoSen↑, CUR used in combination with cisplatin resulted in a synergistic cytotoxic effect, while the effects were additive or sub-additive in combination with doxorubicin
VEGF↓, Some of the effects of CUR treatment are inhibition of NF-κB activity and downstream effector proteins, including: VEGF, MMP-9, XIAP, BCL-2 and Cyclin-D1.
XIAP↓,
Bcl-2↓,
cycD1/CCND1↓,
BioAv↑, Piperine is an alkaloid found in the seeds of black pepper (Piper nigrum) and is known to enhance the bioavailability of several therapeutic agents, including CUR
Hif1a↓, CUR inhibits HIF-1 in certain HCC cell lines and in vivo studies with tumor xenografts. CUR also inhibited EMT by suppressing HIF-1alpha activity in HepG2 cells
EMT↓,
BioAv↓, CUR has a poor solubility in aqueous enviroment, and consequently it has a low bioavailability and therefore low concentrations at the target sites.
PTEN↑, CUR treatment has been shown to result in activation of PTEN, which is a target of miR-21.
VEGF↓, CUR treatment resulted in a decrease of VEGF and activated Akt.
Akt↑,
EZH2↓, CUR also suppressed EZH2 expression by induction of miR-let 7c and miR-101.
NOTCH1↓, The expression of NOTCH1 was inhibited upon EZH2 suppression [
TP53↑, CUR has been shown to activate the TP53/miR-192-5p/miR-215/XIAP pathway in NSCLC.
NQO1↑, CUR can also induce the demethylation of the nuclear factor erythroid-2 (NF-E2) related factor-2 (NRT2) gene which in turn activates (NQO1), heme oxygenase-1 (HO1) and an antioxidant stress pathway which can prevent growth in mouse TRAMP-C1 prostate
HO-1↑,

2654-

CUR,

Oxidative Stress Inducers in Cancer Therapy: Preclinical and Clinical Evidence

Review,

Var,

ROS↑, ROS induction has been implicated as one of the mechanisms of the anticancer activity of curcumin and its derivatives in various cancers
Catalase↓, Curcumin induces ROS by inhibiting the activity of various ROS-related metabolic enzymes, such as CAT, SOD1, glyoxalase 1, and NAD(P)H dehydrogenase [quinone] 1 [146,149]
SOD1↓,
GLO-I↓,
NADPH↓,
TumCCA↑, ROS accumulation further mediates G1 or G2/M cell cycle arrest [146,147,150,154], senescence [146], and apoptosis.
Apoptosis↑,
Akt↓, downregulation of AKT phosphorylation [145
ER Stress↑, endoplasmic reticulum stress (namely through the PERK–ATF4–CHOP axis)
JNK↑, activation of the JNK pathway [151],
STAT3↓, and inhibition of STAT3 [155].
BioAv↑, Additionally, the combination of curcumin and piperine, a pro-oxidative phytochemical that drastically increases the bioavailability of curcumin in humans

457-

CUR,

Curcumin regulates proliferation, autophagy, and apoptosis in gastric cancer cells by affecting PI3K and P53 signaling

in-vitro,

GC,

SGC-7901

10, 20 and 40 μM, 24 h

in-vitro,

GC,

BGC-823

TumCP↓,
Apoptosis↑,
TumAuto↑,
P53↑,
PI3K↓,
P21↑,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
Bcl-2↓,
Bcl-xL↓,
LC3I↓, LC3I
BAX↑,
Beclin-1↑,
cl‑Casp3↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
LC3II↑,
ATG3↑,
ATG5↑,

463-

CUR,

Curcumin induces autophagic cell death in human thyroid cancer cells

in-vitro,

Thyroid,

10, 12.5, 20, 25, 30, 40 and 50 µM, 24 and 72 h

in-vitro,

Thyroid,

FTC-133

in-vitro,

Thyroid,

BCPAP

in-vitro,

Thyroid,

8505C

TumAuto↑,
LC3II↑,
Beclin-1↑,
p‑p38↑,
p‑JNK↑,
p‑ERK↑, p-ERK1/2
p62↓,
p‑PDK1↓,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑p70S6↓,
p‑PIK3R1↓,
p‑S6↓,
p‑4E-BP1↓,

471-

CUR,

Curcumin induces apoptotic cell death and protective autophagy by inhibiting AKT/mTOR/p70S6K pathway in human ovarian cancer cells

in-vitro,

Ovarian,

SKOV3

5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 μM, 24, 48 and 72 h

in-vitro,

Ovarian,

A2780S

Apoptosis↑,
TumAuto↑,
p62↓,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
p‑P70S6K↓,
Casp9↑,
PARP↑,
ATG3↑,
Beclin-1↑,
LC3‑Ⅱ/LC3‑Ⅰ↑,

434-

CUR,

Curcumin induces apoptosis in lung cancer cells by 14-3-3 protein-mediated activation of Bad

in-vitro,

Lung,

A549

25, 50 and 100 μM, 48h

14-3-3 proteins↓,
p‑BAD↓, p-Bad
p‑Akt↓,
Akt↓,
cl‑Casp9↑, cleaved
cl‑PARP↑, cleaved

435-

CUR,

Antitumor activity of curcumin by modulation of apoptosis and autophagy in human lung cancer A549 cells through inhibiting PI3K/Akt/mTOR pathway

in-vitro,

Lung,

A549

5, 10, 20 and 40 μM, 24, 48, 72 and 96 h

Apoptosis↑,
TumAuto↑,
LC3‑Ⅱ/LC3‑Ⅰ↑,
Beclin-1↑,
p62↓,
PI3K↓,
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,

448-

CUR,

Heat shock protein 27 influences the anti-cancer effect of curcumin in colon cancer cells through ROS production and autophagy activation

in-vitro,

CRC,

HT-29

15, 20 and 25 μM, 48 h

Apoptosis↑,
TumCCA↑, G2/M cell cycle arrest
p‑Akt↓,
Akt↓,
Bcl-2↓,
p‑BAD↓,
BAD↑,
cl‑PARP↑,
ROS↑,
HSP27↑,
Beclin-1↑,
p62↑,
GPx1↓,
GPx4↓,

452-

CUR,

Curcumin downregulates the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway and inhibits growth and progression in head and neck cancer cells

vitro+vivo,

HNSCC,

SCC9

0, 25, 10, 5, 2.5, 1.25 and 0.75 μM, 24 and 48 h

41uM

vitro+vivo,

HNSCC,

FaDu

vitro+vivo,

HNSCC,

HaCaT

TumCCA↑, arrested cell cycle at phase G2 /M
PI3k/Akt/mTOR↓,
Casp3↑,
EGFR↓, 0.18 fold
EGF↑, Curcumin induced a noticeable increase in the expression of EGF (11.3-fold change)
PRKCG↑, 13.2 fold
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
RPS6KA1↓, 0.17 fold
EIF4E↓, 0.18 fold
proCasp3↓,

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,

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↑,

476-

CUR,

The effects of curcumin on proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, and NEDD4 expression in pancreatic cancer

in-vitro,

PC,

PATU-8988

5, 10, 15 and 20 μM, 48 and 72 h

in-vitro,

PC,

PANC1

TumCMig↓,
TumCI↓,
Apoptosis↑,
NEDD9↓,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓,
PTEN↑,
p73↑,
β-TRCP↑,

480-

CUR,

Curcumin exerts its tumor suppressive function via inhibition of NEDD4 oncoprotein in glioma cancer cells

in-vitro,

GBM,

SNB19

10, 15, 20 and 25 µM, 48 and 72 h

TumCP↓,
TumCMig↓,
Apoptosis↑,
TumCCA↑, G2/M phase
NEDD9↓,
NOTCH1↓,
p‑Akt↓,

485-

CUR,

PDT,

Red Light Combined with Blue Light Irradiation Regulates Proliferation and Apoptosis in Skin Keratinocytes in Combination with Low Concentrations of Curcumin

in-vitro,

Melanoma,

1.25–3.12 μM

Skin Keratinocytes

NF-kB↓,
Casp8↑,
Casp9↑,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑ERK↓,

152-

CUR,

Anti-cancer activity of curcumin loaded nanoparticles in prostate cancer

in-vivo,

Pca,

 PLGA-CUR NPs

 mice

β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
AR↓, Treatment with PLGA-CUR NPs drastically decreases the AR expression level (Figure 5C) compared to free curcumin.
STAT3↓, PLGA-CUR treatment inhibited the expression of STAT3 and phosphorylation of AKT at even the lowest concentration
p‑Akt↓,
Mcl-1↓,
Bcl-xL↓,
cl‑PARP↑, Prostate cancer cells treated with CUR or PLGA-CUR NPs exhibited PARP cleavage and inhibited the expression of anti-apoptotic proteins, Bcl-XL and Mcl-1
miR-21↓, 9-fold reduction in expression of the oncomir, miR-21, in prostate cancer cells (C4-2 and DU-145) t
miR-205↑,
TumCG↓, PLGA-CUR NPs were capable of reducing both in vitro and in vivo prostate cancer cell growth,
TumCP↓, data suggest that curcumin can effectively suppress prostate cancer cell proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis
TumCI↓,
angioG↓,
TumMeta↓,

12-

CUR,

Curcumin inhibits the Sonic Hedgehog signaling pathway and triggers apoptosis in medulloblastoma cells

in-vitro,

MB,

DAOY

 20 uM

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

15-

CUR,

UA,

Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid in prostate cancer: A systematic review

Review,

Pca,

NF-kB↝, involve NF-κB, Akt, androgen receptors, and apoptosis pathways.
Akt↝, see figure 5
AR↝,
Apoptosis↝,
Bcl-2↝,
Casp3↝,
BAX↝,
P21↝,
ROS↝,
Bcl-xL↝,
JNK↝,
MMP2↝,
P53↝,
PSA↝,
VEGF↝,
COX2↝,
cycD1/CCND1↝,
EGFR↝,
IL6↝,
β-catenin/ZEB1↝,
mTOR↝,
NRF2↝,
AP-1↝,
Cyt‑c↝,
PI3K↝,
PTEN↝,
Cyc↝,
TNF-α↝,

123-

CUR,

Synthesis of novel 4-Boc-piperidone chalcones and evaluation of their cytotoxic activity against highly-metastatic cancer cells

in-vitro,

Colon,

LoVo

 0.84–34.7 μg/mL

 curcumin analog

in-vitro,

Colon,

COLO205

 0.84–34.7 μg/mL

 curcumin analog

in-vitro,

Pca,

PC3

 17.1–22.9 μg/mL

 curcumin analog

in-vitro,

Pca,

22Rv1

 17.1–22.9 μg/mL

 curcumin analog

NF-kB↓, curcumin analog
ATF3↑, our study showed that ATF3 was up-regulated by curcumin in both LNCaP and C4-2B cells
HO-1↑, Our data confirmed the tumor-inhibitory effects of HMOX-1 gene in prostate cancer cells, which was up-regulated by curcumin treatment.
Wnt↓, Wnt, PIK3/AKT/mTOR, and NF-κB signaling pathways were primarily inhibited by curcumin treatment
Akt↓,
mTOR↓,
PTEN↑, and PTEN dependent cell cycle arrest and apoptosis pathways were found to be elevated.
Apoptosis↑,
TGF-β↓, TGF-β signaling pathway was inhibited by curcumin treatment in androgen-dependent and independent manners.
PPARγ↑, Curcumin was also shown to induce PPAR-γ gene expression and inhibit hepatic stellate cell (HSC) activation by interrupting TGF-β signaling in vitro

424-

CUR,

Curcumin inhibits autocrine growth hormone-mediated invasion and metastasis by targeting NF-κB signaling and polyamine metabolism in breast cancer cells

in-vitro,

BC,

MCF-7

5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 µM, 24, 48 and 72 h

in-vitro,

BC,

MDA-MB-231

Src↓,
p‑STAT1↓, pSTAT-1
p‑Akt↓,
p‑p44↓, p-p44
p‑p42↓, p-p42
RAS↓,
Raf↓, c-RAF
Vim↓,
β-catenin/ZEB1↓,
P53↓,
Bcl-2↓,
Mcl-1↓,
PIAS-3↑,
SOCS-3↑,
SOCS1↑,
ROS↑,
NF-kB↓, NF-kB inactivation, ROS generation and PA depletion in MCF-7, MDA-MB-453 and MDA-MB-231 breast can- cer cells
PAO↑,
SSAT↑,
P21↑,
Bak↑,

425-

CUR,

Curcumin inhibits proliferation and promotes apoptosis of breast cancer cells

in-vitro,

BC,

T47D

10 and 30 µM, 24 and 48 h

in-vitro,

BC,

MCF-7

in-vitro,

BC,

MDA-MB-231

in-vitro,

BC,

MDA-MB-468

CDC25↓,
cDC2↓,
P21↑,
p‑Akt↓,
p‑mTOR↓, phosphorylation
Bcl-2↓,
BAX↑,
Casp3↑,

159-

CUR,

Crosstalk from survival to necrotic death coexists in DU-145 cells by curcumin treatment

in-vitro,

Pca,

DU145

ROS↑, at higher concentrations
p‑Jun↑, phosphorylation
p‑p38↑, Moreover, increased p38 phosphorylation was decreased soon after 4 h of curcumin treatment
TumAuto↑, curcumin-induced autophagy was related to caspase-dependent apoptotic cell death,
Casp8↑, Necrotic cell death by autophagy-induced caspase 8/9 degradation lasts until late stages of cell death after curcumin treatmen
Casp9↑,
Akt↓, decreased activities of Akt, ERK, and p38 after curcumin treatment (
ERK↓,
p38↓,

165-

CUR,

Curcumin interrupts the interaction between the androgen receptor and Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway in LNCaP prostate cancer cells

in-vitro,

Pca,

LNCaP

AR↓, Curcumin was shown to induce significant inhibition of AR expression in a dose-dependent manner
β-catenin/ZEB1↓, Curcumin repressed the nuclear accumulation of b-catenin
p‑Akt↓, In this study, we showed that curcumin suppressed phosphorylation of both Akt and GSK-3b.
GSK‐3β↓,
p‑β-catenin/ZEB1↑, phosphorylated
cycD1/CCND1↓, cyclin D1 and c-myc, the target gene of the β-catenin/T-cell factor transcriptional complex, were also decreased
cMyc↓,
chemoPv↑, Curcumin, a dietary yellow pigment of Curcuma longa, has emerged as having a chemopreventive role.
TumCP↓, Curcumin inhibited the proliferation of LNCaP prostate cancer cells

168-

CUR,

Curcumin inhibits Akt/mammalian target of rapamycin signaling through protein phosphatase-dependent mechanism

in-vitro,

Pca,

PC3

Akt↓, Curcumin-mediated inhibition of Akt/mTOR signaling is dependent on calyculin A-sensitive protein phosphatase activity
mTOR↓,
AMPK↑,
TAp63α↑, MAP kinases
TumCP↓, Curcumin inhibited DNA/protein synthesis, cell proliferation, and Akt/mTOR signaling in PC-3 cells

150-

NRF,

CUR,

docx,

Subverting ER-Stress towards Apoptosis by Nelfinavir and Curcumin Coexposure Augments Docetaxel Efficacy in Castration Resistant Prostate Cancer Cells

in-vitro,

Pca,

C4-2B

 NFR (5 µM), CUR (5 µM),DTX 10nM

 CRPC

p‑Akt↓,
p‑eIF2α↑, phosphorylated
ER Stress↑, Acute exposure (3–9 hrs) to this 3-drug combination intensified ER-stress induced pro-apoptotic markers, i.e. ATF4, CHOP, and TRIB3.
ATF4↑, 3-drug combination rapidly enhances ER-stress associated death sensors, CHOP, ATF-4 and TRIB3 in C4-2B cells
CHOP↑,
TRIB3↑,
ChemoSen↑, subverting ER-stress towards apoptosis using adjuvant therapy with NFR and CUR can chemosensitize the CRPC cells to DTX therapy.
Casp3↑, NFR or CUR alone could increase Caspase-3 activity in DTX exposed cells
cl‑PARP↑, PARP cleavage assays further confirmed this differential effect of drug combination on apoptotic cell death. In C4-2B cells, a 9-fold increase was observed
BID↑, 3-drug combination rapidly increases ER-stress transducers, BiP, eIF2µ and Xbp-1 in C4-2B cells
XBP-1↑,

4827-

QC,

CUR,

Synthetic Pathways and the Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin and Curcumin

Review,

Var,

*AntiCan↑, their anti-cancer effects, but also with regard to their anti-diabetic, anti-obesity, anti-inflammatory, and anti-bacterial actions.
*Inflam↓,
*Bacteria↓,
*AntiDiabetic↑,
*ROS↓, suppression of ROS formation via the inhibition of the enzyme activities involved in their production, or via scavenging ROS directly by acting as hydrogen donors; the chelation of the metal ions that induce ROS production;
*SOD↑, quercetin can eliminate free radicals and help maintain a stable redox state in cells by increasing anti-oxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), and catalase expressions, as well as the level of reduced glutathione (GSH)
*Catalase↑,
*GSH↑,
*NRF2↑, Quercetin can protect human granulosa cells from oxidative stress by inducing Nrf2 expression at both the gene and protein levels, which in turn induces the anti-oxidant thioredoxin (Trx) system.
*Trx↑,
*IronCh↑, pure curcumin, a metal chelator, directly removes ROS and regulates numerous enzymes.
*MDA↑, It has the potential to reduce the concentration of malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum and increase the total anti-oxidant potential
cycD1/CCND1↓, Cyclin D1 expression was significantly decreased in quercetin-treated ovarian SKOV-3 cells, but not in cisplatin (CDDP)-resistant SKOV3/CDDP cells.
PI3K↓, The levels of PI3K and phospho-Akt were decreased in curcumin-treated SKOV3 cells, which in turn increased caspase-3 and Bax levels.
Casp3↑,
BAX↑,
ChemoSen↑, Curcumin enhanced the efficacy of chemotherapy in colorectal cancer cells.
ROS↑, suggesting that quercetin-induced cytotoxicity and autophagy were initiated by the generation of ROS
eff↑, quercetin or curcumin with chemotherapeutic agents, as shown below, considerably enhances the antitumor potencies of doxorubicin (DOX) and cisplatin.
MMP↓, The synergistic treatment with curcumin and quercetin inhibited the cell proliferation associated with the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm), the release of cytochrome c, a decrease in AKT and ERK phosphorylation in MGC803 human gastric
Cyt‑c↑,
Akt↓,
ERK↓,

6055-

SeNPs,

CUR,

RES,

Latest Perspectives on Alzheimer's Disease Treatment: The Role of Blood-Brain Barrier and Antioxidant-Based Drug Delivery Systems

NA,

AD,

*DDS↑, new drug delivery systems are being developed to overcome the BBB and improve the delivery of therapeutics to the brain, ultimately improving treatment outcomes for AD patients.
*Dose↝, in-depth analysis of recent advancements in AD treatment strategies, such as silica nanoparticles loaded with curcumin, selenium nanoparticles loaded with resveratrol,
*p‑Akt↑, The Akt phosphorylation can be activated by curcumin, which also deactivates GSK-3β, reducing Aβ production and plaque deposition [65]. Another target is the nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB), which is found at higher levels in AD patients
*GSK‐3β↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*BBB↑, Se/Cur-PLGA nanospheres administered intravenously into transgenic 5XFAD mice with AD, demonstrating an enhanced efficiency of penetrating the BBB
*AChE↓, One of the most significant mechanisms of quercetin’s efficacy in AD is the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase (AChE), which prevents the degradation of acetylcholine, resulting in reduced Aβ aggregate production.

139-

Tomatine,

CUR,

Combination of α-Tomatine and Curcumin Inhibits Growth and Induces Apoptosis in Human Prostate Cancer Cells

in-vitro,

Pca,

PC3

NF-kB↓, synergistic inhibition of NF-κB activity and a potent decrease in the expression of its downstream gene Bcl-2 in the cells.
Bcl-2↓,
p‑Akt↓, strong decreases in the levels of phospho-Akt and phosphor-ERK1/2 were found in PC-3 cells treated with α-tomatine and curcumin in combination
p‑ERK↓, ERK1/2
TumCG↓, α-tomatine in combination with curcumin may be an effective strategy for inhibiting the growth of prostate cancer.
Apoptosis↑, α-Tomatine and curcumin induce apoptosis in PC-3 cells
PCNA↓, Combined treatment with α-tomatine and curcumin had a more potent effect on decreasing the number of PCNA positive cells than either agent used alone
BioAv↓, However, the bioavailability of curcumin is low

2133-

TQ,

CUR,

Cisplatin,

Thymoquinone and curcumin combination protects cisplatin-induced kidney injury, nephrotoxicity by attenuating NFκB, KIM-1 and ameliorating Nrf2/HO-1 signalling

in-vitro,

Nor,

HEK293

in-vivo,

NA,

Sprague–Dawley rats. 50 mg/kg BW Tq + 100 mg/kg BW Cur, with or without cisplatin-treatment were administered for 5 days

*creat↓, BUN, creatinine, CK and pro-inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α, IL-6 and MRP-1 to be elevated in the cisplatin-treated group while reducing glomerular filtration rate. Tq + Cur treatment significantly improved these conditions.
*TNF-α↓,
*IL6↓,
*MRP↓,
*GFR↑,
*mt-ATPase↑, antioxidant enzyme levels and mitochondrial ATPases were restored upon treatment,
*p‑Akt↑, Tq + Cur treatment increased the expressions of phosphorylated Akt, Nrf2 and HO-1 proteins while decreasing the levels of cleaved caspase 3 and NFκB in kidney homogenates.
*NRF2↑,
*HO-1↑,
*Casp3↓,
*NF-kB↓,
*RenoP↑, In summary, Tq + Cur had protective effects on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and renal injury

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 39 of 39

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 39

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 5, Catalase↑, 2, GPx↑, 1, GSH↑, 3, GSTs↑, 1, HO-1↑, 6, HO-2↓, 1, lipid-P↓, 1, MDA↓, 3, MDA↑, 1, NRF2↑, 7, ROS↓, 11, SOD↑, 3, Trx↑, 1,

Metal & Cofactor Biology ⓘ

Ferritin↑, 1, IronCh↑, 2,

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

AMPK↑, 1, cytoP450↓, 1, glucose↓, 1, GlucoseCon↑, 1, GLUT2↑, 1, LDL↓, 1, NADPH↑, 1,

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 1, Akt↑, 1, p‑Akt↑, 2, Bcl-2↑, 1, Casp3↓, 1, iNOS↓, 1,

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Ach↑, 1,

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

GSK‐3β↓, 1, p300↓, 1, PI3K↑, 1, STAT3↓, 1,

Migration ⓘ

mt-ATPase↑, 1,

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

NO↑, 1,

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

BBB↑, 2, GLUT3↑, 1, GLUT4↑, 1, MRP↓, 1,

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 2, CRP↓, 1, IL1↓, 1, IL1β↓, 1, IL6↓, 3, Inflam↓, 8, NF-kB↓, 2, TNF-α↓, 3,

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 3, ChAT↑, 1, tau↓, 1,

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Aβ↓, 1,

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 2, BioAv↑, 2, BioAv↝, 1, DDS↑, 1, Dose↝, 1, eff↑, 1, Half-Life↓, 1,

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

BMD↑, 1, creat↓, 1, CRP↓, 1, Ferritin↑, 1, GutMicro↑, 1, IL6↓, 3,

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1, AntiDiabetic↑, 1, cognitive↑, 2, GFR↑, 1, memory↑, 2, neuroP↑, 2, radioP↑, 1, RenoP↑, 1,

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

Bacteria↓, 1,
Total Targets: 74

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: Akt, PKB-Protein kinase B

39 Curcumin
1 gefitinib, erlotinib
1 Chemotherapy
1 Radiotherapy/Radiation
1 Photodynamic Therapy
1 Ursolic acid
1 nelfinavir/Viracept
1 Docetaxel
1 Quercetin
1 Selenium NanoParticles
1 Resveratrol
1 Tomatine
1 Thymoquinone
1 Cisplatin

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#:4  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

Curcumin / Akt Cancer Research Results

Curcumin Cancer Mechanism Ranking

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

Cell Death ⓘ

Kinase & Signal Transduction ⓘ

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

Autophagy & Lysosomes ⓘ

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

Migration ⓘ

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors ⓘ

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:

Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Metal & Cofactor Biology ⓘ

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

Cell Death ⓘ

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

Migration ⓘ

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

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