Curcumin and tumor immune-editing: resurrecting the immune system

Abstract

Curcumin has long been known to posses medicinal properties and recent scientific studies have shown its efficacy in treating cancer. Curcumin is now considered to be a promising anti-cancer agent and studies continue on its molecular mechanism of action. Curcumin has been shown to act in a multi-faceted manner by targeting the classical hallmarks of cancer like sustained proliferation, evasion of apoptosis, sustained angiogenesis, insensitivity to growth inhibitors, tissue invasion and metastasis etc. However, one of the emerging hallmarks of cancer is the avoidance of immune system by tumors. Growing tumors adopt several strategies to escape immune surveillance and successfully develop in the body. In this review we highlight the recent studies that show that curcumin also targets this process and helps restore the immune activity against cancer. Curcumin mediates several processes like restoration of CD4+/CD8+ T cell populations, reversal of type-2 cytokine bias, reduction of Treg cell population and suppression of T cell apoptosis; all these help to resurrect tumor immune surveillance that leads to tumor regression. Thus interaction of curcumin with the immune system is also an important feature of its multi-faceted modes of action against cancer. Finally, we also point out the drawbacks of and difficulties in curcumin administration and indicate the use of nano-formulations of curcumin for better therapeutic efficacy.

A Subpopulation of the K562 Cells Are Killed by Curcumin Treatment after G2/M Arrest and Mitotic Catastrophe

“…Moreover, Curcumin targets several different proteins and inhibit the activity of various kinases in vitro [23], as well as the activity of histone acetyl transferases [24], therefore, curcumin alters different signaling pathways and also effects epigenetic control of gene expression [25]. Finally, curcumin has been reported to enhance the immune response against cancer cells [26]. …”

New insights into therapeutic activity and anticancer properties of curcumin

“…Curcumin has also been shown to cause telomerase II poisoning in TK-10 and UACC-62 cell lines, thereby causing DNA damage and initiating apoptosis process (Figure 1). 70 Curcumin when given to acute leukemia cells for 4 hours increases nitric oxide levels and inhibits Th1 cytokines in natural killer cells, thus leading to significant tumoricidal results 6,8,70. Oral administration of curcumin (50–200 mg/kg) in nude mice has been reported to inhibit the development of leukemia (HL-60) cells-induced xenografts as well as lymphoma (SGC7901) cells – induced xenografts 8,62,65.…”

“…In more than 90% of cases, uterine cancer is caused by human papillomavirus (HPV), while other factors such as smoking and birth control pills are also considered risk factors. Globally, 528,000 cases of cervical cancer were reported in 2012 with 266,000 deaths 4,6,8. This makes cervical cancer the fourth most common cancer and the fourth most common cause of death due to cancer in women 6,8,39.…”

“…Phytochemicals are known to affect and modulate multiple diverse biochemical processes and several pathways involved in carcinogenesis 5. In addition, they can also act as biological response modifiers supporting immune system function and protect living cells against damage from free radicals 6,8. Unlike chemotherapeutic agents, the effects of phytochemicals are not detrimental in nature on other normal living cells;8 therefore, reducing physiological and psychological insult of the body that is common in chemotherapy 7.…”

The functional curcumin liposomes induce apoptosis in C6 glioblastoma cells and C6 glioblastoma stem cells in vitro and in animals

“…18 Curcumin is a kind of dietary polyphenol derived from the rhizomes of turmeric (Curcuma longa), which is usually used in the preparation of mustard and curry. 19 The anticancer effect of curcumin has been shown in many studies on cells and animals. Recent research has revealed that curcumin can target the CSCs.…”