Curcumin / Cyt‑c 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
Cyt‑c, cyt-c Release into Cytosol: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Cytochrome c
** The term "release of cytochrome c" ** an increase in level for the cytosol.
Small hemeprotein found loosely associated with the inner membrane of the mitochondrion where it plays a critical role in cellular respiration. Cytochrome c is highly water-soluble, unlike other cytochromes. It is capable of undergoing oxidation and reduction as its iron atom converts between the ferrous and ferric forms, but does not bind oxygen. It also plays a major role in cell apoptosis.

The term "release of cytochrome c" refers to a critical step in the process of programmed cell death, also known as apoptosis.
In its new location—the cytosol—cytochrome c participates in the apoptotic signaling pathway by helping to form the apoptosome, which activates caspases that execute cell death.
Cytochrome c is a small protein normally located in the mitochondrial intermembrane space. Its primary role in healthy cells is to participate in the electron transport chain, a process that helps produce energy (ATP) through oxidative phosphorylation.
Mitochondrial outer membrane permeability leads to the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol.
The release of cytochrome c is a pivotal event in apoptosis where cytochrome c moves from the mitochondria to the cytosol, initiating a chain reaction that leads to programmed cell death.

On the one hand, cytochrome c can promote cancer cell survival and proliferation by regulating the activity of various signaling pathways, such as the PI3K/AKT pathway. This can lead to increased cell growth and resistance to apoptosis, which are hallmarks of cancer.
On the other hand, cytochrome c can also induce apoptosis in cancer cells by interacting with other proteins, such as Apaf-1 and caspase-9. This can lead to the activation of the intrinsic apoptotic pathway, which can result in the death of cancer cells.
Overexpressed in Breast, Lung, Colon, and Prostrate.
Underexpressed in Ovarian, and Pancreatic.
Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
4415- AgNPs,  SDT,  CUR,    Examining the Impact of Sonodynamic Therapy With Ultrasound Wave in the Presence of Curcumin-Coated Silver Nanoparticles on the Apoptosis of MCF7 Breast Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, BC, MCF-7
tumCV↓, Curcumin-coated silver nanoparticles (Cur@AgNPs) have shown potential as a sensitizer, demonstrating adverse effects on cancer cell survival.
BAX↑, proapoptotic genes, such as Bax and Caspase-3, increased, while the expression of the antiapoptotic gene Bcl-2 decreased in MCF7 cells treated with the SDT.
Casp3↑,
Bcl-2↓,
eff↑, effect of SDT in the presence of Cur@AgNPs decreases cell viability dependence on US mode
ROS↑, Combined treatment increased the amount of ROS induction
sonoS↑, Higher concentrations of AgNPs (100 μg/ml) acted as acoustic sensitizers and enhanced ROS production
eff↑, Using curcumin as a biological coating reduced the toxicity of AgNPs and improved their significant effects with SDT
MMP↓, reduction in mitochondrial membrane potential (MMP) and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores (mPTPs)
Cyt‑c↑, ultimately facilitating the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria into the cytosol.

4652- CUR,    Anticancer effect of curcumin on breast cancer and stem cells
- Review, BC, NA
TumCP↓, inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and metastasis and by inducing cell cycle arrest and apoptosis.
TumMeta↓,
TumCCA↑,
Apoptosis↑,
CSCs↓, curcumin inhibits the proliferation of breast cancer stem cells (BCSC), an important factor that influences cancer recurrence.
NF-kB↓, curcumin exhibited a potent antiproliferation effect by inhibiting the binding activity of NF-KB
Telomerase↓, Curcumin inhibited telomerase activity in human leukemia cells [21,22] and brain tumor cells [23] in a dose-dependent and time-dependent manner.
Cyt‑c↑, curcumin releases cytochrome C and upregulates caspase-9 and caspase-3 expression
Casp9↑,
Casp3↑,
E-cadherin↑, Curcumin inhibits the migratory ability of BSCS by amplifying the E-cadherin/β-catenin negative feedback loop.

6219- CUR,    Natural Products and Altered Metabolism in Cancer: Therapeutic Targets and Mechanisms of Action
- Review, Var, NA
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↑,

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

2821- CUR,    Antioxidant curcumin induces oxidative stress to kill tumor cells (Review)
- Review, Var, NA
*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↑,

3580- CUR,    Curcumin Acts as Post-protective Effects on Rat Hippocampal Synaptosomes in a Neuronal Model of Aluminum-Induced Toxicity
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*ROS↓, curcumin post-treatment significantly improved oxidative damage and morphological alterations, and suppressed cytochrome c and caspase 3 activities
*Cyt‑c↓,
*Casp3↓,
*neuroP↑, curcumin had more therapeutic effects than protective effects in AlCI3-induced neurotoxicity.

444- CUR,  Cisplatin,    LncRNA KCNQ1OT1 is a key factor in the reversal effect of curcumin on cisplatin resistance in the colorectal cancer cells
- vitro+vivo, CRC, HCT8
TumVol↓,
Apoptosis↑,
Bcl-2↓,
Cyt‑c↑,
BAX↑,
cl‑Casp3↑,
cl‑PARP1↑,
miR-497↑,
KCNQ1OT1↓, acts as sponge of miR-497

1981- CUR,    Mitochondrial targeted curcumin exhibits anticancer effects through disruption of mitochondrial redox and modulation of TrxR2 activity
- in-vitro, Lung, NA
eff↑, Mitocurcumin, showed 25-50 fold higher efficacy in killing lung cancer cells as compared to curcumin
ROS↑, Mitocurcumin increased the mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (ROS
mt-GSH↓, decreased the mitochondrial glutathione levels
Bax:Bcl2↑, increased BAX to BCL-2 ratio
Cyt‑c↑, cytochrome C release into the cytosol
MMP↓, loss of mitochondrial membrane potential
Casp3↑, increased caspase-3 activity
Trx2↓, mitocurcumin revealed that it binds to the active site of the mitochondrial thioredoxin reductase (TrxR2) with high affinity
TrxR↓, In corroboration with the above finding, mitocurcumin decreased TrxR activity in cell free as well as the cellular system.
mt-DNAdam↑, mitochondrial DNA damage

481- CUR,  CHr,  Api,    Flavonoid-induced glutathione depletion: Potential implications for cancer treatment
- in-vitro, Liver, A549 - in-vitro, Pca, PC3 - in-vitro, AML, HL-60
GSH↓, depletion
mtDam↑, mitochondrial dysfunction
MMP↓,
Cyt‑c↑,

484- CUR,  PDT,    Low concentrations of curcumin induce growth arrest and apoptosis in skin keratinocytes only in combination with UVA or visible light
- in-vitro, Melanoma, NA
Cyt‑c↑, release of cytochrome c from mitochondria
Casp9↑,
Casp8↑,
NF-kB↓,
EGFR↓,

432- CUR,    Curcumin-Induced Global Profiling of Transcriptomes in Small Cell Lung Cancer Cells
- in-vitro, Lung, H446
Bcl-2↓,
cycF↓,
LOX1↓,
VEGF↓, VEGFB
MRGPRF↓,
BAX↑,
Cyt‑c↑,
miR-548ah-5p↑,

15- CUR,  UA,    Effects of curcumin and ursolic acid in prostate cancer: A systematic review
- Review, Pca, NA
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↝,

831- GAR,  CUR,    Induction of apoptosis by garcinol and curcumin through cytochrome c release and activation of caspases in human leukemia HL-60 cells
- in-vitro, AML, HL-60
Apoptosis↑,
Casp3↑,
MMP↓, 20 microM caused a rapid loss of mitochondrial transmembrane potential
Cyt‑c↑, release of mitochondrial cytochrome c into cytosol
proCasp9↑,
Bcl-2↓,
BAX↑,
PARP↓, degradation of PARP
DNAdam↑,
DFF45↓, through the digestion of DFF-45

4827- QC,  CUR,    Synthetic Pathways and the Therapeutic Potential of Quercetin and Curcumin
- Review, Var, NA
*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↓,


Showing Research Papers: 1 to 14 of 14

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 14

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

Fenton↑, 1,   GSH↓, 2,   mt-GSH↓, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   Iron↑, 1,   NRF2↝, 1,   ROS↑, 6,   ROS↝, 1,   Trx2↓, 1,   TrxR↓, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics ⓘ

MMP↓, 6,   mtDam↑, 2,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Akt↓, 4,   Akt↝, 1,   Apoptosis↑, 4,   Apoptosis↝, 1,   BAX↑, 5,   BAX↝, 1,   Bax:Bcl2↑, 1,   Bcl-2↓, 4,   Bcl-2↝, 1,   Bcl-xL↝, 1,   Casp↑, 1,   Casp3↑, 6,   Casp3↝, 1,   cl‑Casp3↑, 1,   Casp8↑, 1,   Casp9↑, 3,   proCasp9↑, 1,   Cyt‑c↑, 12,   Cyt‑c↝, 1,   JNK↝, 1,   p‑JNK↑, 1,   miR-497↑, 1,   miR-548ah-5p↑, 1,   Telomerase↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics ⓘ

HATs↓, 1,   KCNQ1OT1↓, 1,   sonoS↑, 1,   tumCV↓, 1,  

Protein Folding & ER Stress ⓘ

ATF6↑, 1,   CHOP↑, 1,   ER Stress↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair ⓘ

DFF45↓, 1,   DNAdam↑, 1,   mt-DNAdam↑, 1,   DNMTs↓, 1,   P53↝, 1,   PARP↓, 1,   cl‑PARP1↑, 1,  

Cell Cycle & Senescence ⓘ

Cyc↝, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↓, 1,   cycD1/CCND1↝, 1,   cycF↓, 1,   P21↝, 1,   TumCCA↑, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State ⓘ

CSCs↓, 1,   ERK↓, 1,   p‑ERK↑, 1,   FOXO1↓, 1,   GSK‐3β↓, 2,   HDAC↓, 1,   mTOR↓, 2,   mTOR↝, 1,   PI3K↓, 3,   PI3K↝, 1,   PTEN↝, 1,   Wnt↓, 1,  

Migration ⓘ

AP-1↝, 1,   E-cadherin↑, 1,   MMP2↝, 1,   MMPs↓, 1,   MRGPRF↓, 1,   Slug↓, 1,   TumCI↓, 1,   TumCP↓, 1,   TumMeta↓, 2,   β-catenin/ZEB1↓, 1,   β-catenin/ZEB1↝, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature ⓘ

angioG↓, 1,   EGFR↓, 1,   EGFR↝, 1,   LOX1↓, 1,   VEGF↓, 2,   VEGF↝, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

COX1↓, 1,   COX2↓, 1,   COX2↝, 1,   IL6↝, 1,   NF-kB↓, 4,   NF-kB↝, 1,   PGE2↓, 1,   PSA↝, 1,   TNF-α↝, 1,  

Hormonal & Nuclear Receptors ⓘ

AR↝, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↑, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 2,   eff↑, 5,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

AR↝, 1,   EGFR↓, 1,   EGFR↝, 1,   IL6↝, 1,   PSA↝, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

cardioP↑, 1,   TumVol↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 105

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress ⓘ

antiOx↑, 2,   Catalase↑, 2,   GSH↑, 1,   GSTs↑, 1,   HO-1↑, 1,   MDA↑, 1,   NRF2↑, 3,   ROS↓, 4,   SOD↑, 2,   Trx↑, 1,  

Metal & Cofactor Biology ⓘ

IronCh↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis ⓘ

cytoP450↓, 1,  

Cell Death ⓘ

Casp3↓, 1,   Cyt‑c↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling ⓘ

IL1↓, 1,   IL6↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 3,   TNF-α↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance ⓘ

BioAv↓, 1,   BioAv↑, 2,  

Clinical Biomarkers ⓘ

IL6↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes ⓘ

AntiCan↑, 1,   AntiDiabetic↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 1,   radioP↑, 1,  

Infection & Microbiome ⓘ

Bacteria↓, 1,  
Total Targets: 26

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: Cyt‑c, cyt-c Release into Cytosol
14 Curcumin
1 Silver-NanoParticles
1 SonoDynamic Therapy UltraSound
1 Cisplatin
1 Chrysin
1 Apigenin (mainly Parsley)
1 Photodynamic Therapy
1 Ursolic acid
1 Garcinol
1 Quercetin
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#:77  State#:%  Dir#:%
  wNotes=on  sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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