Therapeutic Potential of Curcumin in the Treatment of Glioblastoma Multiforme

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common primary malignant brain tumor. Despite standard multimodality treatment, the highly aggressive nature of GBM makes it one of the deadliest human malignancies. The anti-cancer effects of dietary phytochemicals like curcumin provide new insights to cancer treatment. Evaluation of curcumin’s efficacy against different malignancies including glioblastoma has been a motivational research topic and widely studied during the recent decade. In this review, we discuss the recent observations on the potential therapeutic effects of curcumin against glioblastoma. Curcumin can target multiple signaling pathways involved in developing aggressive and drug-resistant features of glioblastoma, including pathways associated with glioma stem cell activity. Notably, combination therapy with curcumin and chemotherapeutics like temozolomide, the GBM standard therapy, as well as radiotherapy has shown synergistic response, highlighting curcumin’s chemo- and radio-sensitizing effect. There are also multiple reports for curcumin nanoformulations and targeted forms showing enhanced therapeutic efficacy and passage through blood-brain barrier, as compared with natural curcumin. Furthermore, in vivo studies have revealed significant anti-tumor effects, decreased tumor size and increased survival with no notable evidence of systemic toxicity in treated animals. Finally, a pharmacokinetic study in patients with GBM has shown a detectable intratumoral concentration, thereby suggesting a potential for curcumin to exert its therapeutic effects in the brain. Despite all the evidence in support of curcumin’s potential therapeutic efficacy in GBM, clinical reports are still scarce. More studies are needed to determine the effects of combination therapies with curcumin and importantly to investigate the potential for alleviating chemotherapy- and radiotherapy-induced adverse effects.

Bioactive Phenolic Compounds in the Modulation of Central and Peripheral Nervous System Cancers: Facts and Misdeeds

“…The effective anti-tumor activity of curcumin treatment in GBM has been shown by several studies [23,80]. Curcumin exerts a pro-differentiative effect in glioma-stem cells because of its activation of the autophagy flux [81].…”

Injectable Biomaterials for Treatment of Glioblastoma

“…For example, self‐assembling peptides capable of forming hydrogels in situ were loaded with Dox and curcurmin and released Dox within 4 d while prolonging the release of curcurmin (more hydrophobic) over 20 d. [ 65 ] Curcurmin is a compound isolated from the root of the Curcuma longa plant that exhibits anti‐inflammatory and anticancer activity; specifically for GBM, curcumin targets pathways implicated in drug‐resistance. [ 66 ] The delivery of both Dox and curcurmin from the peptide nanofiber hydrogel demonstrated increased cellular uptake and cytotoxicity in vitro than either agent in the hydrogel alone. [ 65 ]…”

The therapeutic potential of curcumin for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

“…Куркумин в сочетании с ТЗМ, по-видимому, обладает аддитивным цитотоксическим действием на клетки МГБ [1,31]. Кроме этого, оба препарата вызывают остановку клеточного цикла в фазе G 2 / M через активацию белков, таких как Wee, Cdc2, CHK1 и Cdc25c [31].…”

“…Она характеризуется выраженным некрозом, пролиферацией микрососудов и устойчивостью к современным методам лечения [1][2][3]. Мультимодальная терапия МГБ включает радикальное удаление опухоли мозга, лучевую терапию и химиотерапию [4].…”