Curcumin, a multi-functional chemopreventive agent, blocks growth of colon cancer cells by targeting beta-catenin-mediated transactivation and cell-cell adhesion pathways

J Mol Histol. 2004 Mar;35(3):301-7. doi: 10.1023/b:hijo.0000032361.98815.bb.

Abstract

Colorectal cancer, the second most frequent diagnosed cancer in the US, causes significant morbidity and mortality in humans. Over the past several years, the molecular and biochemical pathways that influence the development of colon cancer have been extensively characterized. Since the development of colon cancer involves multi-step events, the available drug therapies for colorectal cancer are largely ineffective. The radiotherapy, photodynamic therapy, and chemotherapy are associated with severe side effects and offer no firm expectation for a cure. Thus, there is a constant need for the investigation of other potentially useful options. One of the widely sought approaches is cancer chemoprevention that uses natural agents to reverse or inhibit the malignant transformation of colon cancer cells and to prevent invasion and metastasis. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a natural plant product, possesses such chemopreventive activity that targets multiple signalling pathways in the prevention of colon cancer development.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Research Support, U.S. Gov't, P.H.S.
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adenocarcinoma / drug therapy*
  • Adenocarcinoma / metabolism
  • Adenocarcinoma / pathology
  • Animals
  • Antineoplastic Agents / pharmacology
  • Antineoplastic Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Cell Adhesion / drug effects
  • Cell Adhesion / physiology
  • Chemoprevention
  • Colonic Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Colonic Neoplasms / metabolism
  • Colonic Neoplasms / pathology
  • Curcumin / pharmacology
  • Curcumin / therapeutic use*
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / genetics
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins / metabolism*
  • Humans
  • Trans-Activators / genetics
  • Trans-Activators / metabolism*
  • Transcriptional Activation*
  • beta Catenin

Substances

  • Antineoplastic Agents
  • CTNNB1 protein, human
  • Cytoskeletal Proteins
  • Trans-Activators
  • beta Catenin
  • Curcumin