The therapeutic potential of curcumin for the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme

Abstract

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), a grade IV astrocytoma, is the most common and deadly type of primary malignant brain tumor, with a patien’s median survival rate ranging from 12 to 15 months. Over the last fifteen years, the treatment for GBM has included maximal safe surgical resection with combination radiotherapy and adjuvant temozolomide chemotherapy. The low efficacy of mentioned therapies has forced researchers to explore an appropriate alternative or complementary treatment for GBM. It has been shown that curcumin has therapeutic potentials to fight against GBM via affecting on cell proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle, invasion and angiogenesis pathways. In addition, curcumin possess a synergistic impact with chemotherapeutic agents. Herein, we summarized the current findings on curcumin as potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of GBM.

Keywords

• curcumin
• glioblastoma multiforme
• angiogenesis
• apoptosis
• invasion