Gemini Curcumin Suppresses Proliferation of Ovarian Cancer OVCAR-3 Cells via Induction of Apoptosis
Background:
Ovarian cancer has the highest mortality rate among gynecological malignancies. Despite recent
advances in treatment, most patients still suffer from poor prognosis. Curcumin has shown highly cytotoxic effects against
different types of cancer. However, its poor bioavailability restricts its clinical application. Gemini Curcumin (GeminiCur) has been developed to overcome this limitation.
Objective:
Here, we aimed to unravel the inhibitory effect of Gemini-Cur in ovarian cancer. Methods: OVCAR-3 cells
were treated with free curcumin and Gemni-Cur in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Then, the anticancer activity was
investigated by uptake kinetics, cellular viability and apoptotic assays. Furthermore, we evaluated the BAX/Bcl-2
expression ratio by real-time PCR and western blotting.
Results:
Our data showed that gemini surfactant nanoparticles enhance the cellular uptake of curcumin compared to free
curcumin (p<0.01). Regarding the growth inhibitory effect of nano-curcumin, the results demonstrated that Gemini-Cur
suppresses the proliferation of OVCAR-3 cells through induction of apoptosis (p<0.001).
Conclusion:
The results illustrate that Gemini-Cur nanoparticles have a great potential for developing novel therapeutics
against ovarian cancer.
