America
Humble turmeric can help treat oral cancers
New York, April 24
Turmeric, the familiar
yellow spice common in Indian cooking, may also help treat oral cancers
caused by a virus, says a study co-authored by an Indian-origin
researcher.
One of the herb's key active ingredients - an
antioxidant called curcumin - appears to have a quelling effect on the
activity of human papillomavirus (HPV), the study pointed out.
"Turmeric
has established antiviral and anti-cancer properties," said
corresponding author Alok Mishra of the Emory University, Atlanta, US.
"And according to our new findings, we could say that it is good for oral health too," Mishra noted.
HPV
is a virus that promotes the development of cervical and oral cancer.
There is no cure, but the new findings suggest that curcumin may offer a
means of future control.
Mishra's research group first noted the
effect of curcumin on HPV and cervical cancer cells in 2005. The
antioxidant slowed the expression of HPV, suggesting that curcumin could
control the extent of HPV infection.
"Since HPV-related oral cancer cases are on the rise, we tested the same hypothesis on oral cancer," Mishra explained.
"They turned out to be some very interesting findings."
The
new research indicates that curcumin turns down the expression of HPV
in infected oral cancer cells by downregulating the levels of cellular
transcription factors AP-1 and NF-kB.
The research was published in the journal ecancermedicalscience.