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Multifocal signal modulation therapy of cancer: ancient weapon, modern targets

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Abstract

Although safe in most cases, ancient treatments are ignored because neither their active components nor their molecular targets are well defined. This is not the case, however, with curcumin, a yellow-pigment substance and component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), which was identified more than a century ago. Recently, extensive research has addressed the chemotherapeutic potential of this relatively nontoxic-plant-derived polyphenol. Because most cancers are caused by deregulation of as many as 500 different genes, agents that target multiple gene products are needed for prevention and treatment of cancer. In this regard, curcumin has been reported to have immense potentiality for being used in cancer chemotherapy because of its control over the machineries of cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. The mechanisms implicated are diverse and appear to involve a combination of cell signaling pathways at multiple levels. This review seeks to summarize the unique multifocal signal modulatory properties of the “ancient weapon,” curcumin, which may be exploited for successful clinical cancer prevention.

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Abbreviations

Akt:

Protein kinase B

CDK:

Cyclin-dependent kinase

EGFR:

Epidermal growth factor receptor

IκB:

Inhibitor of κB

IKK:

Inhibitor of κB kinase

iNOS:

Inducible nitric oxide synthase

JAK:

Janus kinase

JNK:

c-Jun N-terminal kinase

MAPK:

Mitogen-activated protein kinase

NFκB:

Nuclear factor κB

PI3K:

Phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase

PCNA:

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen

PKC:

Protein kinase C

PPAR:

Peroxisomal proliferators-activated receptor

pRB:

Retinoblastoma protein

STAT:

Signal transducer and activator of transcription

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Acknowledgment

This study was performed in the authors’ laboratories, and was supported by research grants from CSIR, DST, ICMR, and DBT, Government of India.

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  1. Division of Molecular Medicine, Bose Institute, P-1/12 CIT Scheme VII M, Kolkata, 700054, India

    Tanya Das, Gaurisankar Sa, Baisakhi Saha & Kaushik Das

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  1. Tanya Das
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  2. Gaurisankar Sa
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Correspondence to Tanya Das.

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Das, T., Sa, G., Saha, B. et al. Multifocal signal modulation therapy of cancer: ancient weapon, modern targets. Mol Cell Biochem 336, 85–95 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11010-009-0269-0

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