Curcumin / angioG 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
angioG, angiogenesis: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Process through which new blood vessels.
Angiogenesis, the process of new blood vessel formation from pre-existing vessels, plays a crucial role in cancer progression and metastasis. Tumors require a blood supply to grow beyond a certain size and to spread to other parts of the body.
Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF): VEGF is one of the most important pro-angiogenic factors. It stimulates endothelial cell proliferation and migration, leading to the formation of new blood vessels. Many tumors overexpress VEGF, which correlates with poor prognosis.
Hypoxia-Inducible Factor (HIF): In response to low oxygen levels (hypoxia), tumors can activate HIF, which in turn promotes the expression of VEGF and other angiogenic factors. This mechanism allows tumors to adapt to their microenvironment and sustain growth.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
2015- CAP,  CUR,  urea,    Anti-cancer Activity of Sustained Release Capsaicin Formulations
- Review, Var, NA
AntiCan↑, Several convergent studies show that capsaicin displays robust cancer activity, suppressing the growth, angiogenesis and metastasis of several human cancers.
TumCG↓,
angioG↓,
TumMeta↓,
BioAv↓, clinical applications of capsaicin as a viable anti-cancer drug have remained problematic due to its poor bioavailability and aqueous solubility properties
BioAv↓, capsaicin is associated with adverse side effects like gastrointestinal cramps, stomach pain, nausea and diarrhea and vomiting
BioAv↑, All these hurdles may be circumvented by encapsulation of capsaicin in sustained release drug delivery systems.
selectivity↑, Most importantly, these long-acting capsaicin formulations selectively kill cancer cells and have minimal growth-suppressive activity on normal cells.
EPR↑, The EPR effect is a mechanism by which high–molecular drug delivery systems (typically prodrugs, liposomes, nanoparticles, and macromolecular drugs) tend to accumulate in tumor tissue much more than they do in normal tissues
eff↓, The efficiency of such extravasation is maximum when the size of the liposomes less than 200 nm The CAP-CUR-GLY-GAL-LIPO were spherical in shape with a narrow range of size distribution ranging from 135–155nm
ChemoSen↑, The chemosensitization and anti-tumor activity of capsaicin involves multiple molecular pathways
Dose∅, oral, Intravenous (IV), and Intraperitoneal (IP) options
Half-Life∅, oral metabolized in 105mins, T1/2in blood=25mins.
eff↑, presence of urea (as a carrier) increased the aqueous solubility of capsaicin by 3.6-fold compared to pure capsaicin

4826- CUR,    The Bright Side of Curcumin: A Narrative Review of Its Therapeutic Potential in Cancer Management
- Review, Var, NA
*antiOx↑, Curcumin demonstrates strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, contributing to its ability to neutralize free radicals and inhibit inflammatory mediators
*Inflam↑,
*ROS↓,
Apoptosis↑, Its anticancer effects are mediated by inducing apoptosis, inhibiting cell proliferation, and interfering with tumor growth pathways in various colon, pancreatic, and breast cancers
TumCP↓,
BioAv↓, application is limited by its poor bioavailability due to its rapid metabolism and low absorption.
Half-Life↓,
eff↑, curcumin-loaded hydrogels and nanoparticles, have shown promise in improving curcumin bioavailability and therapeutic efficacy.
TumCCA↑, Studies have demonstrated that curcumin can suppress the proliferation of cancer cells by interfering with the cell cycle [21,22]
BAX↑, Curcumin enhances the expression of pro-apoptotic proteins such as Bax, Bak, PUMA, Bim, and Noxa and death receptors such as TRAIL-R1/DR4 and TRAIL-R2/DR5
Bak↑,
PUMA↑,
BIM↑,
NOXA↑,
TRAIL↑,
Bcl-2↓, curcumin decreases the levels of anti-apoptotic proteins like Bcl-2, Bcl-XL, survin, and XIAP
Bcl-xL↓,
survivin↓,
XIAP↓,
cMyc↓, This shift in the balance of apoptotic regulators facilitates the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria [33,35] and activates caspases
Casp↑,
NF-kB↓, Curcumin suppresses the activity of key transcription factors like NF-κB, STAT3, and AP-1 and interferes with critical signal transduction pathways such as PI3K/Akt/mTOR and MAPK/ERK.
STAT3↓,
AP-1↓,
angioG↓, curcumin inhibits angiogenesis and metastasis by downregulating VEGF, VEGFR2, and matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs).
TumMeta↑,
VEGF↓,
MMPs↓,
DNMTs↓, Epigenetic modifications through the inhibition of DNA methyltransferases (DNMTs) and histone deacetylases (HDACs) further contribute to its anticancer properties.
HDAC↓,
ROS↑, curcumin-loaded nanoparticles showed significant cytotoxicity in the SCC25, MDA-MB-231, and A549 cell lines, with a decrease in tumor cell proliferation, an increase in ROS, and an increase in apoptosis.

6227- CUR,    Revisiting Curcumin in Cancer Therapy: Recent Insights into Molecular Mechanisms, Nanoformulations, and Synergistic Combinations
- Review, Var, NA
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

6216- CUR,    Role of Turmeric and Curcumin in Prevention and Treatment of Chronic Diseases: Lessons Learned from Clinical Trials
- Review, Var, NA
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, NA
*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

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↓,

465- CUR,    Curcumin inhibits the growth of liver cancer by impairing myeloid-derived suppressor cells in murine tumor tissues
- vitro+vivo, Liver, HepG2 - vitro+vivo, Liver, HUH7 - vitro+vivo, Liver, MHCC-97H
TumCG↓,
MDSCs↓,
TLR4↓,
NF-kB↓,
IL6↓,
IL1↓, IL-1β
PGE2↓,
COX2↓,
GM-CSF↓,
angioG↓,
VEGF↓,
CD31↓,
GM-CSF↓,
α-SMA↓,
p‑IKKα↓, p-IKKα, p-IKKβ
MyD88↓,

152- CUR,    Anti-cancer activity of curcumin loaded nanoparticles in prostate cancer
- in-vivo, Pca, NA
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↓,

155- CUR,    Osteopontin and MMP9: Associations with VEGF Expression/Secretion and Angiogenesis in PC3 Prostate Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, Pca, PC3
p‑ERK↓, ERK1/2
VEGF↓, Curcumin Down-Regulates Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) Expression in PC3 Cells
angioG↓, Inhibition of ERK Phosphorylation Represses VEGF Induced Angiogenesis in Vitro
MMP2↓, Curcumin suppressed MMP2 and MMP9 activity in the tumor bearing site of prostate cancer.
MMP9↓,
angioS↑, MMP9 Knockdown Increases Angiostatin Secretion by PC3 Cells

125- CUR,    Bioactivity of Curcumin on the Cytochrome P450 Enzymes of the Steroidogenic Pathway
- in-vitro, adrenal, H295R
CYP17A1↓,
CYP19↓,
*Nrf1↑, Curcumin has been shown to modulate molecular signaling pathways, such as the aryl hydrocarbon receptor, the induction of Nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 (Nrf2) or the inhibition of nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B
*NF-kB↓,
angioG↓, Curcumin can also inhibit angiogenesis and induce apoptosis on cancerous cells
Apoptosis↑,
AR↓, Curcumin has been shown to downregulate the androgen receptor in prostate cancer cells [11]
toxicity↓, Human trials using up to 8000 mg of curcumin found no evidence of toxicity [52].
BioAv↑, An important formulation has been the use of curcumin with piperine, which has been found to enhance the bioavailability as well as effects of curcumin

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 11 of 11

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 11

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Ferroptosis↑, 1,   ROS↑, 5,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↓, 1,   XIAP↓, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

cMyc↓, 3,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 3,   p‑Akt↓, 1,   Apoptosis↓, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 5,   Bak↑, 1,   BAX↑, 2,   Bcl-2↓, 2,   Bcl-xL↓, 2,   BIM↑, 1,   Casp↑, 2,   Casp3↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 1,   Ferroptosis↑, 1,   MAPK↓, 1,   Mcl-1↓, 1,   NOXA↑, 1,   PUMA↑, 1,   survivin↓, 2,   TRAIL↑, 1,   TumCD↑, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

cJun↓, 1,   HATs↓, 1,   miR-205↑, 1,   miR-21↓, 1,   other↝, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

ER Stress↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DNAdam↑, 1,   DNMTs↓, 2,   P53↑, 2,   PARP↑, 1,   cl‑PARP↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

CDK4↓, 1,   TumCCA↑, 2,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

ALDH↓, 1,   Axin2↑, 1,   CD133↑, 1,   cFos↓, 1,   CSCs↓, 1,   EMT↓, 1,   p‑ERK↓, 1,   FOXO1↓, 1,   GSK‐3β↓, 2,   HDAC↓, 2,   mTOR↓, 2,   NOTCH↓, 1,   PI3K↓, 3,   PTEN↑, 1,   STAT↓, 1,   STAT3↓, 4,   TumCG↓, 6,   Wnt↓, 2,  

Migration ⓘ

5LO↓, 1,   AP-1↓, 1,   CD31↓, 2,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 2,   MMPs↓, 2,   PKCδ↓, 1,   TGF-β↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 4,   TumCP↓, 3,   TumMeta↓, 7,   TumMeta↑, 1,   α-SMA↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 3,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 11,   angioS↑, 1,   EGFR↓, 1,   EPR↑, 1,   HIF-1↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 6,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX1↓, 1,   COX2↓, 3,   GM-CSF↓, 2,   p‑IKKα↓, 1,   IL1↓, 2,   IL12↓, 1,   IL2↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   IL8↓, 2,   Imm↑, 1,   JAK↓, 2,   JAK2↓, 1,   MCP1↓, 1,   MDSCs↓, 1,   MyD88↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 6,   PGE2↓, 2,   TLR4↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation ⓘ

XO↓, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors ⓘ

AR↓, 2,   CYP19↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 5,   BioAv↑, 3,   ChemoSen↑, 4,   CYP17A1↓, 1,   Dose∅, 1,   eff↓, 1,   eff↑, 4,   Half-Life↓, 2,   Half-Life∅, 1,   RadioS↑, 2,   selectivity↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

AR↓, 2,   EGFR↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1,   cardioP↑, 1,   toxicity↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 114

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 3,   MDA↓, 1,   Nrf1↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 2,   ROS↓, 3,   SOD↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

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

Cell Death ⓘ

iNOS↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport ⓘ

GLUT3↑, 1,   GLUT4↑, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX2↓, 1,   CRP↓, 1,   IL1↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   Inflam↓, 1,   Inflam↑, 1,   NF-kB↓, 1,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission ⓘ

AChE↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 2,   BioAv↑, 2,   eff↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

BMD↑, 1,   CRP↓, 1,   GutMicro↑, 1,   IL6↓, 2,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

neuroP↑, 1,   radioP↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 35

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: angioG, angiogenesis
11 Curcumin
1 Capsaicin
1 urea
1 Selenium
1 Radiotherapy/Radiation
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#:447  State#:%  Dir#:%
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