Curcumin / NO Cancer Research Results

CUR, Curcumin: Click to Expand ⟱
Features:
Curcumin is the main active ingredient in Tumeric. Member of the ginger family.Curcumin is a polyphenol extracted from turmeric with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties.
- Has iron-chelating, iron-chelating properties. Ferritin. But still known to increase Iron in Cancer cells.
- GSH depletion in cancer cells, exhaustion of the antioxidant defense system. But still raises GSH↑ in normal cells.
- Higher concentrations (5-10 μM) of curcumin induce autophagy and ROS production
- Inhibition of TrxR, shifting the enzyme from an antioxidant to a prooxidant
- Strong inhibitor of Glo-I, , causes depletion of cellular ATP and GSH
- Curcumin has been found to act as an activator of Nrf2, (maybe bad in cancer cells?), hence could be combined with Nrf2 knockdown
-may suppress CSC: suppresses self-renewal and pathways (Wnt/Notch/Hedgehog).
Clinical studies testing curcumin in cancer patients have used a range of dosages, often between 500 mg and 8 g per day; however, many studies note that doses on the lower end may not achieve sufficient plasma concentrations for a therapeutic anticancer effect in humans.
• Formulations designed to improve curcumin absorption (like curcumin combined with piperine, nanoparticle formulations, or liposomal curcumin) are often employed in clinical trials to enhance its bioavailability.

-Note half-life 6 hrs.
BioAv is poor, use piperine or other enhancers
Pathways:
- induce ROS production at high concentration. Lowers ROS at lower concentrations
curcumin can act as a pro-oxidant when blue light is applied
- ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑, HSP↓
- Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: GSH↓ Catalase↓ HO1↓ GPx↓
but conversely is known as a NRF2↑ activator in cancer
- Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑,
- lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, p38↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, IL-8↓
- inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, MMPs↓, MMP2↓, MMP9↓, uPA↓, VEGF↓, NF-κB↓, CXCR4↓, SDF1↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓
- reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, DNMT1↓, DNMT3A↓, EZH2↓, P53↑, HSP↓, Sp proteins↓,
- cause Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓,
- inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, TOP1↓, TET1↓,
- inhibits glycolysis /Warburg Effect and ATP depletion : HIF-1α↓, PKM2↓, cMyc↓, GLUT1↓, LDHA↓, HK2↓, PFKs↓, PDKs↓, HK2↓, ECAR↓, OXPHOS↓, GRP78↑, GlucoseCon↓
- inhibits angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, NOTCH">Notch↓, FGF↓, PDGF↓, EGFR↓, Integrins↓,
- inhibits Cancer Stem Cells : CSC↓, CK2↓, Hh↓, GLi1↓, CD133↓, CD24↓, β-catenin↓, n-myc↓, sox2↓, OCT4↓,
- Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK↓, ERK↓, JNK, TrxR**,
- Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective,

- Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells

Rank Pathway / Axis Cancer Cells Normal Cells Label Primary Interpretation Notes
1 NF-κB signaling ↓ NF-κB activation ↓ inflammatory NF-κB tone Driver Suppression of survival and inflammatory transcription NF-κB is a primary, repeatedly validated curcumin target explaining pleiotropic downstream effects
2 STAT3 signaling ↓ STAT3 phosphorylation / activity ↔ or mild suppression Driver Loss of pro-survival and proliferative signaling STAT3 inhibition contributes to growth arrest, apoptosis sensitization, and reduced cytokine signaling in tumors
3 Reactive oxygen species (ROS) ↑ ROS (dose- & context-dependent) ↓ ROS / buffered Conditional Driver Biphasic redox modulation Curcumin can act as a pro-oxidant in cancer cells with high basal stress while acting antioxidant in normal cells
4 Mitochondrial integrity / intrinsic apoptosis ↓ ΔΨm; ↑ caspase activation ↔ preserved Driver Execution of intrinsic apoptosis Mitochondrial dysfunction and caspase activation occur downstream of NF-κB/STAT3 and ROS effects
5 PI3K → AKT → mTOR axis ↓ AKT / ↓ mTOR ↔ or adaptive suppression Secondary Reduced growth and anabolic signaling AKT/mTOR inhibition contributes to growth suppression and autophagy induction in cancer cells
6 Autophagy ↑ autophagy (protective or pro-death) ↑ adaptive autophagy Secondary Stress adaptation vs cell death Autophagy may be cytoprotective or cooperate with apoptosis depending on context and dose
7 HIF-1α / VEGF hypoxia–angiogenesis axis ↓ HIF-1α; ↓ VEGF ↔ minimal effect Secondary Anti-angiogenic pressure Suppression of hypoxia-driven transcription limits angiogenesis and tumor adaptation
8 Cell cycle regulation ↑ G2/M or G1 arrest ↔ largely spared Phenotypic Cytostatic growth control Cell-cycle arrest reflects upstream signaling and epigenetic effects rather than direct CDK inhibition
9 Migration / invasion (EMT, MMP axis) ↓ migration & invasion Phenotypic Anti-metastatic phenotype Reduced EMT markers and protease activity limit invasive behavior
10 Epigenetic regulation (p300/CBP HAT activity) ↓ histone acetylation ↔ modest Secondary Transcriptional reprogramming Curcumin modulates chromatin via HAT inhibition rather than classic HDAC inhibition


NO, Nitric Oxide: Click to Expand ⟱
Source:
Type:
Once the cancer has begun, NO seems to play a protumoral role rather than antitumoral one as the concentration required to cause tumor cell cytotoxicity cannot be achieved by cancer cells.
The mechanistic roles of nitric oxide (NO) during cancer progression have been important considerations since its discovery as an endogenously generated free radical. Nonetheless, the impacts of this signaling molecule can be seemingly contradictory, being both pro-and antitumorigenic, which complicates the development of cancer treatments based on the modulation of NO fluxes in tumors. At a fundamental level, low levels of NO drive oncogenic pathways, immunosuppression, metastasis, and angiogenesis, while higher levels lead to apoptosis and reduced hypoxia and also sensitize tumors to conventional therapies. However, clinical outcome depends on the type and stage of the tumor as well as the tumor microenvironment.
Nitric oxide is generated by three main nitric oxide synthase isoforms: neuronal (nNOS), endothelial (eNOS), and inducible (iNOS).

– In many cancers, especially under inflammatory conditions, iNOS expression is upregulated. In contrast, eNOS levels may also be altered in cancers such as breast or prostate cancer.

• Expression Patterns in Tumors:
– Elevated iNOS expression is commonly observed in various tumor types (e.g., colon, breast, lung, and melanoma) and is often associated with an inflammatory microenvironment.

– Changes in eNOS and nNOS expression have also been reported and may contribute to angiogenesis and tumor blood flow regulation.


Scientific Papers found: Click to Expand⟱
3514- Bor,  CUR,    Effects of Curcumin and Boric Acid Against Neurodegenerative Damage Induced by Amyloid Beta
- in-vivo, AD, NA
*DNAdam↓, *MDA↓, *AChE↓, *neuroP↑, *ROS↓, *NO↓,
2818- CUR,    Novel Insight to Neuroprotective Potential of Curcumin: A Mechanistic Review of Possible Involvement of Mitochondrial Biogenesis and PI3/Akt/ GSK3 or PI3/Akt/CREB/BDNF Signaling Pathways
- Review, AD, NA
*neuroP↑, *ROS↓, *Inflam↓, *Apoptosis↓, *cognitive↑, *cardioP↑, other↑, *COX2↓, *IL1β↓, *TNF-α↓, NF-kB↓, *PGE2↓, *iNOS↓, *NO↓, *IL2↓, *IL4↓, *IL6↓, *INF-γ↓, *GSK‐3β↓, *STAT↓, *GSH↑, *MDA↓, *lipid-P↓, *SOD↑, *GPx↑, *Catalase↑, *GSR↓, *LDH↓, *H2O2↓, *Casp3↓, *Casp9↓, *NRF2↑, *AIF↓, *ATP↑,
2308- CUR,    Counteracting Action of Curcumin on High Glucose-Induced Chemoresistance in Hepatic Carcinoma Cells
- in-vitro, Liver, HepG2
GlucoseCon↓, lactateProd↓, ECAR↓, NO↓, ROS↑, HK2↓, PFK1↓, GAPDH↓, PKM2↓, LDHA↓, FASN↓, GLUT1↓, MCT1↓, MCT4↓, HCAR1↓, SDH↑, ChemoSen↑, ROS↑, BioAv↑, P53↑, NF-kB↓, pH↑,
1418- CUR,    Potential complementary and/or synergistic effects of curcumin and boswellic acids for management of osteoarthritis
- Review, Arthritis, NA
*COX2↓, *Inflam↓, *5LO↓, *NO↓, *NF-kB↓, *TNF-α↓, *IL1↓, *IL2↑, *IL6↓, *IL8↓, *IL12↓, *MCP1↓, *PGE2↓, *MMP2↓, *MMP3↓, *MMP9↓, *NLRP3↓, *ROS↓,
1792- CUR,  LEC,    Chondroprotective effect of curcumin and lecithin complex in human chondrocytes stimulated by IL-1β via an anti-inflammatory mechanism
- in-vitro, Arthritis, RAW264.7 - NA, NA, HCC-38
*Inflam↓, *NF-kB↓, *iNOS↓, *COX2↓, *NO↓, *PGE2↓, *MMPs↑, *TIMP1↑, *BioEnh↑,

Showing Research Papers: 1 to 5 of 5

* indicates research on normal cells as opposed to diseased cells
Total Research Paper Matches: 5

Pathway results for Effect on Cancer / Diseased Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

ROS↑, 2,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

SDH↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

ECAR↓, 1,   FASN↓, 1,   GAPDH↓, 1,   GlucoseCon↓, 1,   HK2↓, 1,   lactateProd↓, 1,   LDHA↓, 1,   MCT4↓, 1,   PFK1↓, 1,   PKM2↓, 1,  

Cell Death

MCT1↓, 1,  

Transcription & Epigenetics

other↑, 1,  

DNA Damage & Repair

P53↑, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

NO↓, 1,  

Barriers & Transport

GLUT1↓, 1,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

HCAR1↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 2,  

Cellular Microenvironment

pH↑, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioAv↑, 1,   ChemoSen↑, 1,  
Total Targets: 22

Pathway results for Effect on Normal Cells:


Redox & Oxidative Stress

Catalase↑, 1,   GPx↑, 1,   GSH↑, 1,   GSR↓, 1,   H2O2↓, 1,   lipid-P↓, 1,   MDA↓, 2,   NRF2↑, 1,   ROS↓, 3,   SOD↑, 1,  

Mitochondria & Bioenergetics

AIF↓, 1,   ATP↑, 1,  

Core Metabolism/Glycolysis

LDH↓, 1,  

Cell Death

Apoptosis↓, 1,   Casp3↓, 1,   Casp9↓, 1,   iNOS↓, 2,  

DNA Damage & Repair

DNAdam↓, 1,  

Proliferation, Differentiation & Cell State

GSK‐3β↓, 1,   STAT↓, 1,  

Migration

5LO↓, 1,   MMP2↓, 1,   MMP3↓, 1,   MMP9↓, 1,   MMPs↑, 1,   TIMP1↑, 1,  

Angiogenesis & Vasculature

NO↓, 4,  

Immune & Inflammatory Signaling

COX2↓, 3,   IL1↓, 1,   IL12↓, 1,   IL1β↓, 1,   IL2↓, 1,   IL2↑, 1,   IL4↓, 1,   IL6↓, 2,   IL8↓, 1,   INF-γ↓, 1,   Inflam↓, 3,   MCP1↓, 1,   NF-kB↓, 2,   PGE2↓, 3,   TNF-α↓, 2,  

Synaptic & Neurotransmission

AChE↓, 1,  

Protein Aggregation

NLRP3↓, 1,  

Drug Metabolism & Resistance

BioEnh↑, 1,  

Clinical Biomarkers

IL6↓, 2,   LDH↓, 1,  

Functional Outcomes

cardioP↑, 1,   cognitive↑, 1,   neuroP↑, 2,  
Total Targets: 50

Scientific Paper Hit Count for: NO, Nitric Oxide
5 Curcumin
1 Boron
1 Lecithin
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers.
Such Conditions may include : 
  -low or high Dose
  -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations
  -different cell line effects
  -synergies with other products 
  -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:%  IllCat:%  CanType:%  Cells:%  prod#:65  Target#:563  State#:%  Dir#:1
wNotes=0 sortOrder:rid,rpid

 

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