Abstract
Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Conventional therapies cause widespread systemic toxicity and lead to serious side effects which prohibit their long term use. Additionally, in many circumstances tumor resistance and recurrence is commonly observed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify suitable anticancer therapies that are highly precise with minimal side effects. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol molecule derived from the Curcuma longa plant which exhibits anticancer, chemopreventive, chemo- and radio-sensitization properties. Curcumin’s widespread availability, safety, low cost and multiple cancer fighting functions justify its development as a drug for cancer treatment. However, various basic and clinical studies elucidate curcumin’s limited efficacy due to its low solubility, high rate of metabolism, poor bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. A growing list of nanomedicine(s) using first line therapeutic drugs have been approved or are under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve human health. These nanotechnology strategies may help to overcome challenges and ease the translation of curcumin from bench to clinical application. Prominent research is reviewed which shows that advanced drug delivery of curcumin (curcumin nanoformulations or curcumin nanomedicine) is able to leverage therapeutic benefits by improving bioavailability and pharmacokinetics which in turn improves binding, internalization and targeting of tumor(s). Outcomes using these novel drug delivery systems have been discussed in detail. This review also describes the tumor-specific drug delivery system(s) that can be highly effective in destroying tumors. Such new approaches are expected to lead to clinical trials and to improve cancer therapeutics.
Keywords: Nanotechnology, curcumin nanomedicine, drug delivery, cancer therapy, chemo-prevention, and tumor targeting, systemic toxicity, polyphenol molecule, Curcuma longa, bioavailability
Current Pharmaceutical Design
Title:Curcumin Nanomedicine: A Road to Cancer Therapeutics
Volume: 19 Issue: 11
Author(s): Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi and Subhash C. Chauhan
Affiliation:
Keywords: Nanotechnology, curcumin nanomedicine, drug delivery, cancer therapy, chemo-prevention, and tumor targeting, systemic toxicity, polyphenol molecule, Curcuma longa, bioavailability
Abstract: Cancer is the second leading cause of death in the United States. Conventional therapies cause widespread systemic toxicity and lead to serious side effects which prohibit their long term use. Additionally, in many circumstances tumor resistance and recurrence is commonly observed. Therefore, there is an urgent need to identify suitable anticancer therapies that are highly precise with minimal side effects. Curcumin is a natural polyphenol molecule derived from the Curcuma longa plant which exhibits anticancer, chemopreventive, chemo- and radio-sensitization properties. Curcumin’s widespread availability, safety, low cost and multiple cancer fighting functions justify its development as a drug for cancer treatment. However, various basic and clinical studies elucidate curcumin’s limited efficacy due to its low solubility, high rate of metabolism, poor bioavailability and pharmacokinetics. A growing list of nanomedicine(s) using first line therapeutic drugs have been approved or are under consideration by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to improve human health. These nanotechnology strategies may help to overcome challenges and ease the translation of curcumin from bench to clinical application. Prominent research is reviewed which shows that advanced drug delivery of curcumin (curcumin nanoformulations or curcumin nanomedicine) is able to leverage therapeutic benefits by improving bioavailability and pharmacokinetics which in turn improves binding, internalization and targeting of tumor(s). Outcomes using these novel drug delivery systems have been discussed in detail. This review also describes the tumor-specific drug delivery system(s) that can be highly effective in destroying tumors. Such new approaches are expected to lead to clinical trials and to improve cancer therapeutics.
Export Options
About this article
Cite this article as:
M. Yallapu Murali, Jaggi Meena and C. Chauhan Subhash, Curcumin Nanomedicine: A Road to Cancer Therapeutics, Current Pharmaceutical Design 2013; 19 (11) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612811319110004
DOI https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1381612811319110004 |
Print ISSN 1381-6128 |
Publisher Name Bentham Science Publisher |
Online ISSN 1873-4286 |
Call for Papers in Thematic Issues
"Tuberculosis Prevention, Diagnosis and Drug Discovery"
The Nobel Prize-winning discoveries of Mycobacterium tuberculosis and streptomycin have enabled an appropriate diagnosis and an effective treatment of tuberculosis (TB). Since then, many newer diagnosis methods and drugs have been saving millions of lives. Despite advances in the past, TB is still a leading cause of infectious disease mortality ...read more
Current Pharmaceutical challenges in the treatment and diagnosis of neurological dysfunctions
Neurological dysfunctions (MND, ALS, MS, PD, AD, HD, ALS, Autism, OCD etc..) present significant challenges in both diagnosis and treatment, often necessitating innovative approaches and therapeutic interventions. This thematic issue aims to explore the current pharmaceutical landscape surrounding neurological disorders, shedding light on the challenges faced by researchers, clinicians, and ...read more
Emerging and re-emerging diseases
Faced with a possible endemic situation of COVID-19, the world has experienced two important phenomena, the emergence of new infectious diseases and/or the resurgence of previously eradicated infectious diseases. Furthermore, the geographic distribution of such diseases has also undergone changes. This context, in turn, may have a strong relationship with ...read more
Melanoma and Non-Melanoma Skin Cancer Treatment: Standard of Care and Recent Advances
In this thematic issue, we aim to provide a standard of care of the diagnosis and treatment of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancer. The editor will invite authors from different countries who will write review articles of melanoma and non-melanoma skin cancers. The Diagnosis, Staging, Surgical Treatment, Non-Surgical Treatment all ...read more
- Author Guidelines
- Graphical Abstracts
- Fabricating and Stating False Information
- Research Misconduct
- Post Publication Discussions and Corrections
- Publishing Ethics and Rectitude
- Increase Visibility of Your Article
- Archiving Policies
- Peer Review Workflow
- Order Your Article Before Print
- Promote Your Article
- Manuscript Transfer Facility
- Editorial Policies
- Allegations from Whistleblowers
- Announcements
Related Articles
-
Antibacterial and Antifungal Screening of Novel α-amino Acid Conjugated Bile Acid Derivatives
Current Bioactive Compounds Carotenoids and Modulation of Cancer: Molecular Targets
Current Pharmacogenomics Mast Cells and Basophils: Trojan Horses of Conventional Lin- Stem/Progenitor Cell Isolates
Current Pharmaceutical Design MRI Contrast Agents: Current Status and Future Perspectives
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Rashes, Sniffles, and Stroke: A Role for Infection in Ischemic Stroke of Childhood
Infectious Disorders - Drug Targets Editorial (Thematic Issue: Thyroid Cancer in Children and Adolescents)
Current Pediatric Reviews Focal Adhesion Kinase: From In Vitro Studies to Functional Analyses In Vivo
Current Protein & Peptide Science Rational Combination of Targeted Therapies As A Strategy to Overcome The Mechanisms of Resistance to Inhibitors of EGFR Signaling
Current Pharmaceutical Design Ghrelin: New Insight to Mechanisms and Treatment of Postoperative Gastric Ileus
Current Pharmaceutical Design Individualized Treatment Planning in Oncology: Role of PET and Radiolabelled Anticancer Drugs in Predicting Tumour Resistance
Current Pharmaceutical Design Dehydroepiandrosterone and Its Derivatives: Potentially Novel Anti-Proliferative and Chemopreventive Agents
Current Pharmaceutical Design Merging Transport Data for Choroid Plexus with Blood-Brain Barrier to Model CNS Homeostasis and Disease More Effectively
CNS & Neurological Disorders - Drug Targets Manipulation of Glycolysis in Malignant Tumors: Fantasy or Therapy?
Current Medicinal Chemistry The Effect of Alcohol on Gastrointestinal Motility
Reviews on Recent Clinical Trials <sup>18</sup>F-DOPA and <sup>18</sup>F-FDG PET/CT, Scintigraphic Localization and Radioguided Surgery of Recurrent Medullary Thyroid Cancer: Two Case Reports
Current Radiopharmaceuticals Anti-cancer Potential of Phyto-alkaloids: A Prospective Review
Current Cancer Therapy Reviews Contribution of Catecholamine Reactive Intermediates and Oxidative Stress to the Pathologic Features of Heart Diseases
Current Medicinal Chemistry Alternative Splicing, DNA Damage and Modulating Drugs in Radiation Therapy for Cancer
Anti-Cancer Agents in Medicinal Chemistry Prostate Cancer Prevention in the Developing World - What are we Waiting for?
Current Pharmacogenomics and Personalized Medicine Combination of Valproic Acid and ATRA Restores RARβ2 Expression and Induces Differentiation in Cervical Cancer through the PI3K/Akt Pathway
Current Molecular Medicine