Pursuing my interest in curcumin, I searched for more recent information regarding its role in inflammation and pharmacology. More specifically, I have learned that the cytokine TNF-alpha blockers are approved for use by the U. S. Food and Drug Administration for a range of inflammatory conditions. "TNF dysregulation has been linked to a wide variety of diseases including cancer, obesity, cardiovascular diseases, pulmonary diseases, metabolic diseases, neurological diseases, psychological diseases, skin diseases and autoimmune diseases," (1). Pharmacologic drugs approved include infliximab, a chimeric TNF antibody; Humira, a humanized TNF-alpha antibody, and Enbrel, which is a soluble TNF recepter-II. Despite their inflated costs and administration by injection, these drugs have severe adverse effects. "Some of the important adverse effects most extensively associated with TNF blockers include lymphoma, infections, congestive heart failure, demyelinating disease, a lupus-like syndrome, induction of auto-antibodies, injection site reactions and systemic adverse effects," (2). These effects are significant to the point of being given a black label warning by the FDA. By contrast, the study cited below by G. Garwal (1), lends support for the use of curcumin, the inexpensive, natural, and safe component of tumeric, as a natural TNF-alpha blocker. Curcumin inhibits the production and cell signalling pathways which are activated by TNF-alpha. Reporting on curcumin's role: "...curcumin can inhibit TNF-mediated NF-KB action in variety of cell types, (3)...TNF-mediated expression of various cell surface adhesion molecules in endothelial cells is down-regulated by curcumin(4)...A wide variety of cell signalling pathways activated by TNF have been shown to be down-regulated by curcumin; these include JNK, MAPK, PI3K/Akt...In addition, curcumin has also been shown to modulate TNF-alpha by directly binding to the ligand,(5)."
1. ggarwal, B. B., Gupta, S. C. and Sung, B. (2013), Curcumin: an orally bioavailable blocker of TNF and other pro-inflammatory biomarkers. British Journal of Pharmacology, 169: 1672–1692. doi: 10.1111/bph.12131
2. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12131/full#bph12131-bib-0198
3. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12131/full#bph12131-bib-0210
4. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12131/full#bph12131-bib-0127
5. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/bph.12131/full#bph12131-bib-0084
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