Curcumin can reduce metastases

Curcumin inhibits daughter tumors

24/10/2012

In osteoarthritis and other conditions, the goldenseal is known as a remedy for naturopathy. It contains an active ingredient, the polyphenol curcumin, which inhibits inflammation and can also prevent the formation of metastases, as a team of scientists now showed.

A research team from the LMU Munich has investigated the active ingredient curcumin, as it inhibits the formation of secondary tumors. This natural polyphenol is very well tolerated and would potentially be suitable for use in both primary tumor prevention and secondary tumor prevention at an advanced stage of the tumor.

In tumors associated with chronic latent inflammation, such as prostate or mammary carcinoma, among other things, the cytokines CXCL1 and CXCL2 are increasingly formed. The scientists were able to show that curcumin specifically inhibits the synthesis of these proteins. Experiments in mice showed that the formation of metastases could be so reduced. The development of daughter tumors in the lung of the animals in mammary and prostate cancer was statistically significantly reduced.

However, this does not mean that this substance should replace the usual therapeutic strategies, emphasizes the research team. „Rather, it is conceivable to use curcumin before a tumor has been diagnosed - or to prevent the formation and spread of metastases. Good tolerability is very important to us because we would then recommend taking curcumin in a healthy population with an increased risk of developing tumors.“ (Original Publication: Kilian, P.H., et al., Curcumin Inhibits Prostate Cancer Metastasis In Vivo by Targeting the Inflammatory Cytokines CXCL1 and -2. Carcinogenesis Online; doi: 10.1093 / carcin / bgs312, 2012)

Picture: Franz Eugen Köhler, Köhler's medicinal plants