Curcumin nanodrug breaks cancers' resistance to treatment

Researchers from Cancer Research Center of Tehran University of Medical Sciences produced biocompatible and biodegradable non-ionic polymeric nanocarriers that can be used in the targeted anticancer drug delivery (, "Encapsulation of Curcumin in Diblock Copolymer Micelles for Cancer Therapy"). The nanocarrier has been produced without using toxic catalysts and it has successfully passed clinical tests on a number of patients who suffered from cancer. Studies show that curcumin – the active pharmaceutical ingredient in turmeric – has anticancer properties as well as having anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation characteristics, and it can prevent the cancer. However, when curcumin is consumed orally, very tiny amount of it is found in blood plasma or in target tissue. This fact can be caused because of the low amount of sorption, quick metabolism or quick elimination of curcumin from the body. Therefore, numerous methods have been developed to increase the amount of curcumin in plasma or in the target tissue. According to the results of the research, encapsulation of curcumin in nano-emulsions (nano-curcumin) can increase therapeutic properties of the drug. Comprehensive studies carried out by the research team showed that nano-curcumin has much stronger effects on cancerous cells in cultivation media and in animal samples. This nanodrug is tolerable without any toxicity in the first phase of clinical tests (investigation of its toxicity and the tolerable dosage) even in high dosages. At the moment, this nanodrug is in the end of the second phase of clinical test to treat digestion and breast cancers that resist treatment.