Can Curcumin Nanoparticles be Effective in Breast Cancer Treatment?: A comprehensive review study
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Mina AkbariRad,1 AmirAli Moodi Ghalibaf,2,*
1. Associate Professor of Internal Medicine, Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad University of Medical Sciences, Mashhad, Iran
2. Student Research Committee, Faculty of Medicine, Birjand University of Medical Sciences, Birjand, Iran
- Introduction: Nowadays, breast cancer is known as one of the major malignancies that cause millions of deaths every year globally. Among women, this malignancy is the most prevalent cancer worldwide, with more than 2 million new cases and nearly 1 million deaths in 2018. Novel studies have been indicated that natural products can be effective anti-tumor agents. In this way, Curcumin, or diferuloylmethane, demonstrated some anti-tumor effects which inhibit cell proliferation, induce apoptosis, and act as a potent anti-angiogenic, anti-invasive, and anti-metastatic agent. On the other hand, nanoparticles as hydrophobic molecules increase the stability and bioavailability of compounds and minimize possible adverse effects. Therefore, in the current study, we have been reviewed the possible role of Curcumin Nanoparticles in Breast Cancer Treatment.
- Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted in electronic databases including Embase, Pubmed, Scopus, and Web of science with the keywords “Breast Cancer”, “Curcumin”, “nanoparticles”, and all other related MeSH terms up to March 2022. Either original or review studies were reviewed to determine the Curcumin nanoparticles' effectiveness, its role, and potential toxicity in breast cancer treatment.
- Results: In fact, breast cancer is divided into five major molecular subtypes including luminal A-like, luminal B-like human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 negative (HER2–), HER2-enriched (non-luminal) and luminal B-like HER2+, and triple-negative. Significantly Curcumin-nanoparticles can reduce tumor weight, inhibited cancer cell proliferation, and increased tumor apoptosis and necrosis. These effects were observed in various ranges of nanoparticles such as micelles, polymeric, and lipid-based nanoparticles. Moreover, Curcumin- nanoparticles can decrease cancer stem cell population and prevent angiogenesis in tumoral tissues, which can lead to tumor death. By the way, there have been many gray areas in terms of the effect of Curcumin-nanoparticles on specific subtypes of breast cancer. Moreover, the revised studies were reported the low level of the Curcumin- nanoparticles cellular toxicity. In detail, this therapeutic agent had safe effects on hematological markers, biochemical markers, and organ damage.
- Conclusion: Although many studies support the therapeutic effects of Curcumin-nanoparticles in breast cancer treatment, there are some critical gray areas in this field that need further investigation.
- Keywords: Breast Cancer, Curcumin, Nanoparticles
