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Curcumin Kills Cancer Cells Quickly

Posted on: 10/29/2009

CORK, Ireland—Researchers from the University College Cork and Mercy University Hospital, Cork, reported curcumin started killing cancer cells within 24 hours of administration in laboratory tests. They investigated the phytochemical commonly found in the curry spice turmeric and its effects on esophageal cancer, which they said is increasingly prevalent and has poor survival rates. Curcumin’s effect on cancer cells was not due only to inducing apoptosis (programmed cell death), and cancer cells in two of the cell lines studied began to digest themselves, according to researchers. Lead author Sharon McKenna noted in killing cancer cells, curcumin used a system of messages that was unexpected. Under the “expected” process of apoptosis, certain protease enzymes (caspases) that trigger cell death. However, researchers added to the curcumin-treated cells a compound that would stop the enzyme-triggered cell death, they saw no difference in the number of cells curcumin killed. Thus, in their British Journal of Cancer article the scientists concluded curcumin represents “a promising anticancer agent for prevention and treatment of esophageal cancer.”

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