• Registered: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
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Topic: Curcumin Study

Curcumin suppresses proliferation and induces apoptosis in human biliary cancer cells through modulation of multiple cell signaling pathways.
Prakobwong S, Gupta SC, Kim JH, Sung B, Pinlaor P, Hiraku Y, Wongkham S, Sripa B, Pinlaor S, Aggarwal BB.
Source

Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Medicine, Khon Kaen University, Khon Kaen 40002, Thailand.
Abstract

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a tumor with poor prognosis that is resistant to all currently available treatments. Whether curcumin, a nutraceutical derived from turmeric (Curcuma longa), has potential therapeutic activity against human CCA was investigated using three CCA cell lines (KKU100, KKU-M156 and KKU-M213). Examination of mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity, phosphatidylserine externalization, esterase staining, caspase activation and poly-adenosine diphosphate ribose polymerase cleavage demonstrated that curcumin inhibited proliferation of and induced apoptosis in these biliary cancer cells. Colony-formation assay confirmed the growth-inhibitory effect of curcumin on CCA cells. When examined for the mechanism, curcumin was found to activate multiple cell signaling pathways in these cells. First, all CCA cells exhibited constitutively active nuclear factor (NF)-κB, and treatment with curcumin abolished this activation as indicated by DNA binding, nuclear translocation and p65 phosphorylation. Second, curcumin suppressed activation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 as indicated by decreased phosphorylation at both tyrosine(705) and serine(727) and inhibition of janus kinase-1 phosphorylation. Third, curcumin induced expression of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma. Fourth, curcumin upregulated death receptors, DR4 and DR5. Fifth, curcumin suppressed the Akt activation pathway. Sixth, curcumin inhibited expression of cell survival proteins such as B-cell lymphoma-2, B-cell leukemia protein xL, X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis protein, c-FLIP, cellular inhibitor of apoptosis protein (cIAP)-1, cIAP-2 and survivin and proteins linked to cell proliferation, such as cyclin D1 and c-Myc. Seventh, the growth inhibitory effect of curcumin was enhanced in the IκB kinase-deficient cells, the enzyme required for nuclear factor-kappaB activation. Overall, our results indicate that curcumin mediates its antiproliferative and apoptotic effects through activation of multiple cell signaling pathways, and thus, its activity against CCA should be further investigated.

PMID:
    21325634
    [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]
PMCID: PMC3165121
    [Available on 2012/9/1]

Please know that my personal opinion is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If  provided, information are for educational purposes.Consult doctor is a MUST for changing of treatment plans.

2 Reply by eli (edited by eli Fri, 09 Dec 2011 08:15:56)

  • eli
  • eli
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  • From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Registered: Tue, 08 Nov 2011
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Re: Curcumin Study

It's an exciting sounding study. But keep in mind, it was done in a dish. I only read the abstract and from the sounds of it, they applied curcumin directly to CCA cells.

If you plan to take curcumin orally, review what Wikipedia has to say about curcumin bioavailabily:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curcumin#Bioavailability

FWIW, my wife currently takes 95% curcumin supplement with piperine ("bioperine"). I'm thinking about buying two other formulations mentioned on Wikipedia: Longvida and Meriva. It's very hard to tell which of these formulations works best. The "no-regrets" solution is to alternate between them.

  • Registered: Fri, 15 Oct 2010
  • Posts: 1,735

Re: Curcumin Study

Hi,
What else of the supplements are your wife on?
Could you share with us?
God bless.

Please know that my personal opinion is not intended nor implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice. If  provided, information are for educational purposes.Consult doctor is a MUST for changing of treatment plans.

4 Reply by eli (edited by eli Sat, 10 Dec 2011 12:42:20)

  • eli
  • eli
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  • From: Ottawa, Ontario, Canada
  • Registered: Tue, 08 Nov 2011
  • Posts: 561

Re: Curcumin Study

Hi Percy,

The list of supplements is not very long at the moment. Supplements are very frustrating to research. As you know, the evidence is all over the place. Lots of studies in a dish or in mice/rats. Human studies are often of very poor quality (small sample, non-randomized, open label, etc). For most supplements, I can find a bunch of studies that directly contradict each other. Studies that are specific to CCA are few and far in between.

Anyway, here's the list.

1. 95% curcumin with bioperine

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWH084/ItemDetail

2. Shiitake mushroom extract

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/SWH121/ItemDetail

3. Maitake mushroom extract

http://www.swansonvitamins.com/MSH005/ItemDetail

Once our current supply runs out, I think I will replace it with Maitake Gold 404

http://www.maitakegold.com/

Sloan-Kettering selected this formula for a clinical trial. The company that markets Maitake Gold has Dr. Nanba on board. He is the Japanese doctor who did the original research on Maitake.

4. Calcium supplement with Vitamin D3. Not cancer related.

5. Vitamin D3, to top up the daily dose. We get very little sunshine this time of year. I've seen a few studies that linked higher cancer rates in northern countries to lack of Vitamin D. The AntiCancer book is also big on D3.

6. Vitamin B12. Again, not cancer related. We eat very little meat. B12 deficiency is common among vegetarians. The bottle says it also helps with fat digestion (I could not verify this claim).

We might add Astragalus Extract and Milk Thristle in the near future. I'm still researching them.

Best wishes,
Eli