Role of curcumin: A suppressor of NF-κB activity in hepatocellular carcinoma

Abstract

Leading as the third cause of cancer-related deaths in the world, hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is an aggressive cancer that offers little to no treatment for patients in the advanced stages due to the frequency of recurrence. Moreover, the upregulation of the nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-κB) signaling pathway leads to uncontrolled cell growth, metastasis, and resistance in HCC. Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has been found to inhibit NF-κB activity in HCC and to present other antitumor properties such as anti-proliferation, anti-inflammation, and anti-angiogenic properties. Furthermore, curcumin also acts as a collaborative agent with available chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Working against the drawbacks of poor bioavailability and rapid metabolism, researchers are discovering new ways of encapsulating curcumin in order to exhibit its full efficacy against HCC metastasis.