Protective Effects of Curcumin Against Medulloblastoma: A Review

Abstract

Medulloblastoma (MB) is the most common childhood tumor with a poor prognosis. Primary approaches for treating MB comprise surgical resection along with radiotherapy and chemotherapy. However, these methods have not created a promising outlook for subjects with this neuroepithelial tumor due to their low efficiency. On the other hand, these therapeutic strategies are associated with many side effects. So, there is an unmet need to find an alternative way to overcome MB. Currently, there is a significant focus on natural compound-based therapies, particularly curcumin obtained from Curcuma longa, for ameliorating different disorders like cancer. Extensive research has also been conducted to provide evidence supporting the beneficial effects of curcumin in the treatment of MB. This polyphenolic compound can exert its suppressive effects on the proliferation and growth of MB cells by affecting several molecular pathways and agents, such as suppressing Wnt/β-catenin, NF-κB, and SHH signaling pathways, triggering apoptosis-related genetic effectors (eg, Bax, Bcl-2, PARP, caspase-3, and caspase-9), potentiating tubulin acetylation, and decreasing HDAC4 function. Hence, in this literature review, we aimed to debate documents pertaining to MB therapy with curcumin and other formulations in vitro and in vivo with a mechanistic insight.