The Role of Curcumin in Cancer: A Focus on the PI3K/Akt Pathway

Overview

Journal Cancers (Basel)

Publisher MDPI

Specialty Oncology

Date 2024 Apr 27

PMID 38672636

Authors

Vasiliki Zoi

Athanassios P Kyritsis

Vasiliki Galani

Diamanto Lazari

Chrissa Sioka

Spyridon Voulgaris

Georgios A Alexiou

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Cancer is a life-threatening disease and one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite significant advancements in therapeutic options, most available anti-cancer agents have limited efficacy. In this context, natural compounds with diverse chemical structures have been investigated for their multimodal anti-cancer properties. Curcumin is a polyphenol isolated from the rhizomes of and has been widely studied for its anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidant, and anti-cancer effects. Curcumin acts on the regulation of different aspects of cancer development, including initiation, metastasis, angiogenesis, and progression. The phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) pathway is a key target in cancer therapy, since it is implicated in initiation, proliferation, and cancer cell survival. Curcumin has been found to inhibit the PI3K/Akt pathway in tumor cells, primarily via the regulation of different key mediators, including growth factors, protein kinases, and cytokines. This review presents the therapeutic potential of curcumin in different malignancies, such as glioblastoma, prostate and breast cancer, and head and neck cancers, through the targeting of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway.

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