Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin
Free radicals, generally composed of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are generated in the body by various endogenous and exogenous systems. The overproduction of free radicals is known to cause several chronic diseases including cancer. However, increased productio...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2020-11-01
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| Series: | Molecules |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/22/5390 |
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| author | Nehal Gupta Kshitij Verma Sarath Nalla Alok Kulshreshtha Rajiv Lall Sahdeo Prasad |
| author_facet | Nehal Gupta Kshitij Verma Sarath Nalla Alok Kulshreshtha Rajiv Lall Sahdeo Prasad |
| author_sort | Nehal Gupta |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Free radicals, generally composed of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are generated in the body by various endogenous and exogenous systems. The overproduction of free radicals is known to cause several chronic diseases including cancer. However, increased production of free radicals by chemotherapeutic drugs is also associated with apoptosis in cancer cells, indicating the dual nature of free radicals. Among various natural compounds, curcumin manifests as an antioxidant in normal cells that helps in the prevention of carcinogenesis. It also acts as a prooxidant in cancer cells and is associated with inducing apoptosis. Curcumin quenches free radicals, induces antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), and upregulates antioxidative protein markers–Nrf2 and HO-1 that lead to the suppression of cellular oxidative stress. In cancer cells, curcumin aggressively increases ROS that results in DNA damage and subsequently cancer cell death. It also sensitizes drug-resistant cancer cells and increases the anticancer effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, curcumin shows beneficial effects in prevention, treatment and chemosensitization of cancer cells. In this review, we will discuss the dual role of free radicals as well as the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of curcumin and its analogues against cancer. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:46:21Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-fa4363cad3b348b89818b410804a7899 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1420-3049 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T14:46:21Z |
| publishDate | 2020-11-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Molecules |
| spelling | doaj.art-fa4363cad3b348b89818b410804a78992023-11-20T21:22:27ZengMDPI AGMolecules1420-30492020-11-012522539010.3390/molecules25225390Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of CurcuminNehal Gupta0Kshitij Verma1Sarath Nalla2Alok Kulshreshtha3Rajiv Lall4Sahdeo Prasad5Department of Medicine, University of California San Francisco, 1600 Divisadero Street, San Francisco, CA 94115, USADiscovery Chemistry, Genentech, Inc., 1 DNA Way, South San Francisco, CA 94080, USANoble Pharma, LLC, 4602 Domain Drive, Menomonie, WI 54751, USANoble Pharma, LLC, 4602 Domain Drive, Menomonie, WI 54751, USANoble Pharma, LLC, 4602 Domain Drive, Menomonie, WI 54751, USANoble Pharma, LLC, 4602 Domain Drive, Menomonie, WI 54751, USAFree radicals, generally composed of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), are generated in the body by various endogenous and exogenous systems. The overproduction of free radicals is known to cause several chronic diseases including cancer. However, increased production of free radicals by chemotherapeutic drugs is also associated with apoptosis in cancer cells, indicating the dual nature of free radicals. Among various natural compounds, curcumin manifests as an antioxidant in normal cells that helps in the prevention of carcinogenesis. It also acts as a prooxidant in cancer cells and is associated with inducing apoptosis. Curcumin quenches free radicals, induces antioxidant enzymes (catalase, superoxide dismutase, glutathione peroxidase), and upregulates antioxidative protein markers–Nrf2 and HO-1 that lead to the suppression of cellular oxidative stress. In cancer cells, curcumin aggressively increases ROS that results in DNA damage and subsequently cancer cell death. It also sensitizes drug-resistant cancer cells and increases the anticancer effects of chemotherapeutic drugs. Thus, curcumin shows beneficial effects in prevention, treatment and chemosensitization of cancer cells. In this review, we will discuss the dual role of free radicals as well as the chemopreventive and chemotherapeutic effects of curcumin and its analogues against cancer.https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/22/5390free radicalsROScancercurcuminchemopreventiontherapy |
| spellingShingle | Nehal Gupta Kshitij Verma Sarath Nalla Alok Kulshreshtha Rajiv Lall Sahdeo Prasad Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin Molecules free radicals ROS cancer curcumin chemoprevention therapy |
| title | Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin |
| title_full | Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin |
| title_fullStr | Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin |
| title_full_unstemmed | Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin |
| title_short | Free Radicals as a Double-Edged Sword: The Cancer Preventive and Therapeutic Roles of Curcumin |
| title_sort | free radicals as a double edged sword the cancer preventive and therapeutic roles of curcumin |
| topic | free radicals ROS cancer curcumin chemoprevention therapy |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/1420-3049/25/22/5390 |
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