Advancement on effects of curcumin for molecular mechanism of anti-tumor- angiogenesis

Abstract

Curcumin as one kind of phenolic pigment extracted from dietary spice turmeric, has various pharmacological activity, which including anti-inflammatory, antioxidation, anticoagulation, hypolipidemic, anti-atherosclerotic, antineoplastic and antimutagenicity. Inducing apoptosis of tumor cells is one of the mechanisms of anti-tumor as well as anti-tumor-angiogenesis. The mechanisms of anti-angiogenesis include effecting the proliferation and apoptosis of vascular endothelial cell; inhibiting the expression of angiogenesis-promoting factor, such as inhibiting vascular endothelial growth factor(VEGF)and its receptor to inhibit the formation of angiogenesis of tumor; reducing the activity of matrix metalloproteinases(MMPs)and acting through the phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3K)signaling pathway, the mechanism of which is to down-regulating the PI3K/AKT and MAPK pathways in order to down-regulating VEGF, Ang-1,Ang-2, VEGFR-2 and etc. Further research for effects of curcumin for mechanism of anti-tumor-angiogenesis will lay the foundation of more effective therapy on anti-tumor-angiogenesis, which is useful for prevention and treatment of cancer.

Keywords

• curcumin
• angiogenesis of tumor
• vascular endothelial growth factor
• matrix metalloproteinases
• phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase