Related Experiment Video

Updated: Nov 8, 2025

MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as A Novel Detection and Quantification Method
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MicroRNA Amplification and Recognition through Locked-nucleic-acid In situ Hybridization as A Novel Detection and Quantification Method

Published on: October 7, 2025

100

Targeting microRNAs by curcumin: implication for cancer therapy

Fatemeh Sadoughi1, Parisa Maleki Dana1, Zatollah Asemi1

  • 1Research Center for Biochemistry and Nutrition in Metabolic Diseases, Institute for Basic Sciences, Kashan University of Medical Sciences, Kashan, Islamic Republic of Iran.

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition
|April 27, 2021
PubMed

Insights

Curcumin, a plant compound, impacts cancer by altering microRNA (miRNA) expression, offering potential for targeted cancer therapy. This review explores curcumin

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Despite advances in cancer therapy, natural compounds like curcumin show promise.
  • Curcumin, a polyphenol, possesses anticancer properties.
  • MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are key regulators of gene expression and cellular processes relevant to cancer.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how curcumin influences cancer hallmarks via miRNA modulation.
  • To assess curcumin's potential as an alternative or adjunct to chemotherapy.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review of studies on curcumin, miRNAs, and cancer.
  • Analysis of curcumin's molecular mechanisms targeting miRNA pathways.
  • Evaluation of evidence for curcumin's efficacy in preclinical and clinical cancer models.

Main Results:

  • Curcumin modulates the expression of specific miRNAs involved in cancer progression.
  • These miRNA changes affect cancer hallmarks including proliferation, apoptosis, and metastasis.
  • Curcumin's effects on miRNAs present a novel avenue for cancer treatment strategies.

Conclusions:

  • Curcumin's ability to regulate miRNAs provides a mechanism for its anticancer effects.
  • Curcumin holds potential as a targeted therapy, possibly complementing or replacing chemotherapy.
  • Further research is warranted to fully elucidate curcumin-miRNA interactions for clinical application.
Keywords:
Curcuminbreast cancercancercolorectal cancercurcumin-resistancelung cancermicroRNAmicroRNA-21 (miR-21)

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