Curcumin and colon cancer: from preclinical to clinical studies

Abstract

In the US, colon cancer has the third most mortality. Though new managements have reported upgraded prognosis, the five-year survival rates of patients with general or metastatic colon cancer are still unsatisfied at 64.7% and 20%, respectively. As a result, more innovative therapies or drugs with high efficacy should be developed. Curcumin, a natural chemical compound, is now in the spotlight of both preclinical and clinical trials on colon cancer. It not only exerts exceptional anti-cancer effects, but also anti-inflammatory and antiviral bio-activities. However, curcumin shows low bioavailability when orally administered. To resolve this issue, nanoparticles have been widely utilized. In this review, we precisely summarize the effects of curcumin on colon cancer in both preclinical and clinical studies. In vitro studies, curcumin could arrest cell cycle at the G2/M phase as well as part of the G1 phase, and induce cell apoptosis by binding to targeted molecules. Except for this, epigenetic alterations could also induce colon cancer. Both in vitro and in vivo studies have proved that curcumin could remarkably influence the prognosis. Moreover, genetically designed murine models which were orally administered with curcumin demonstrated satisfactory effects on colon cancer induced by different factors. More importantly, curcumin alone or as an adjuvant showed satisfactory results in numerous clinical trials. In conclusion, curcumin demonstrated outstanding anti-cancer activity against colon cancer.