BACKGROUND. Earlier work from our laboratory highlighted the therapeutic potential of curcumin (turmeric), used as a dietary ingredient and as a natural anti-in¯ammatory agent in India and other Southeast Asian countries. This agent was shown to decrease the proliferative potential and induce the apoptosis potential of both androgen-dependent and androgenindependent prostate cancer cells in vitro, largely by modulating the apoptosis suppressor proteins and by interfering with the growth factor receptor signaling pathways as exempli®ed by the EGF-receptor. To extend these observations made in vitro and to study the ef®cacy of this potential anti-cancer agent in vivo, the growth of LNCaP cells as heterotopically implanted tumors in nude mice was followed. METHODS. The androgen-dependent LNCaP prostate cancer cells were grown, mixed with Matrigel and injected subcutaneously into nude mice. Experimental group received a synthetic diet containing 2% curcumin for up to 6 weeks. At the end point, sections taken from the excised tumors were evaluated for pathology, cell proliferation, apoptosis, and vascularity. RESULTS. Curcumin causes a marked decrease in the extent of cell proliferation as measured by the BrdU incorporation assay and a signi®cant increase in the extent of apoptosis as measured by an in situ cell death assay. Moreover, a signi®cant decrease in the microvessel density as measured by the CD31 antigen staining was also seen. CONCLUSIONS. Curcumin could be a potentially therapeutic anti-cancer agent, as it signi®cantly inhibits prostate cancer growth, as exempli®ed by LNCaP in vivo, and has the potential to prevent the progression of this cancer to its hormone refractory state. Prostate 47:293±303,
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