Potential therapeutic efficacy of curcumin in liver cancer

Liver cancer, one of the most common cancers in China, is reported to feature relatively high morbidity and mortality. Curcumin (Cum) is considered as a drug possessing anti-angiogenic, anti-inflammation and anti-oxidation effect. Previous research has demonstrated antitumor effects in a series of cancers.

In this study the in vitro cytotoxicity of Cum was measured by MTT assay and pro-apoptotic effects were assessed by DAPI staining and measurement of caspase-3 activity. In vivo anti-hepatoma efficacy of Cum was assessed with HepG2 xenografts.

It is found that Cum dose-dependently inhibited cell growth in HepG2 cells with activation of apoptosis. Moreover, Cum delayed the growth of liver cancer in a dose-dependent manner in nude mice.

Cum might be a promising phytomedicine in cancer therapy and further efforts are needed to explore this therapeutic strategy.