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Curcumin induces apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells by regulating the glycolytic pathway via the MAPK axis: a

Yi Wang1, Yuxi Zhang2, Yuhan Zhang3

  • 1Faculty of Chinese Medicine and State Key Laboratory of Quality Research in Chinese Medicines, Macau University of Science and Technology, Macau, Macau SAR, 999078, China.

Open Life Sciences
|March 12, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Curcumin inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth by targeting glycolysis and activating the MAPK pathway. This natural compound promotes apoptosis and reduces cell migration, offering potential therapeutic strategies for osteosarcoma.

Area of Science:

  • Oncology
  • Molecular Biology
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Osteosarcoma is a primary bone cancer with limited treatment options.
  • Curcumin, a natural compound, exhibits anti-cancer properties.
  • The precise mechanisms of curcumin's action in osteosarcoma require further elucidation.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the mechanism of curcumin-induced apoptosis in osteosarcoma cells.
  • To explore the role of glycolytic regulation and the MAPK pathway in curcumin's effects.
  • To identify key molecular targets of curcumin in osteosarcoma treatment.

Main Methods:

  • Network pharmacology, protein-protein interaction analysis, and molecular docking were employed.
  • In vitro studies included CCK-8, wound healing, flow cytometry, and TUNEL assays.
  • Western blot analysis assessed protein expression levels.

Main Results:

  • Curcumin inhibited osteosarcoma cell proliferation and migration.
  • Curcumin induced apoptosis by upregulating Bax and Cleaved-PARP and downregulating Bcl-2.
  • Curcumin modulated the MAPK pathway by increasing phosphorylated P38 and JNK, while downregulating glycolytic enzymes HK2 and PKM2.

Conclusions:

  • Curcumin effectively inhibits osteosarcoma cell growth and induces apoptosis.
  • The mechanism involves the downregulation of glycolysis and activation of the JNK/P38 MAPK signaling pathway.
  • Curcumin shows promise as a therapeutic agent for osteosarcoma.
Keywords:
P38/JNKapoptosiscurcuminglycolysisosteosarcoma cells

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