Curcumin-Induced Apoptotic Cell Death in Human Glioma Cells Is Enhanced by Clusterin Deficiency

Background/Objectives: Glioblastoma is an aggressive brain tumor with limited treatment options and significant resistance to conventional therapies. Methods: In this study, we explored the effects of combining curcumin treatment with clusterin inhibition on cell death in glioma cells. Results: We observed that the combination of clusterin silencing and curcumin treatment induces cell death. This combination therapy significantly elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS), triggering oxidative stress, which acted as a key upstream mediator of apoptosis. Elevated ROS levels were found to be associated with caspase activation, suggesting apoptosis as the primary mode of cell death. Furthermore, autophagy was induced as a complementary mechanism, with upregulation of LC3B contributing to the enhanced cytotoxic effects. Conclusions: The synergy between clusterin knockdown-induced senescence and curcumin's pro-apoptotic and pro-autophagic effects highlights a potential novel therapeutic strategy for gliomas. These findings underscore the potential of this combination therapy in overcoming glioma resistance and improving treatment outcomes through the dual induction of oxidative stress and cell death pathways.