Multiple Myeloma Blog

More Positive News For All Of You Curcumin Junkies Out There...

Posted: 25 Aug 2011 07:20 AM PDT

Here are excerpts from a Reuters/CancerPage.com article about the positive, anti-cancer effects of curcumin:
Why aren't there more clinical studies to help figure-out how and why curcumin works and optimum dosing?

More Evidence Curry Ingredient May Fight Cancer

By Alison McCook

NEW YORK Mar 13, 2003 (Reuters Health) - An ingredient in the curry spice turmeric may help suppress and destroy a blood cancer, early lab research shows--suggesting yet another health benefit from this long-heralded substance.

Turmeric is a common ingredient in Indian food and yellow mustard. Its active ingredient is curcumin, which gives turmeric its yellow color...

...Patients with multiple myeloma are in particular need of new treatments, Aggarwal and his colleagues point out in their report in the journal Blood. Once diagnosed with this blood cancer, patients typically live between two and three years.

During the current study, the researchers added curcumin to a sample of human cells with multiple myeloma, and observed how the substance influenced the progression of the cancer.

In an interview, Aggarwal explained that curcumin appears to block the activity of a "light switch" called nuclear factor kappa-B (NF-kappaB). When turned on, he said, NF-kappaB appears to then turn on many genes linked to cancer.

Examining the multiple myeloma cells before adding the curcumin, the authors found that virtually all contained activated forms of NF-kappaB.

After adding curcumin, however, NF-kappaB activity was inhibited, the multiple myeloma cells no longer replicated and the remaining cells died, Aggarwal said.

Here is a LINK to the entire article.

According to Aggarwal:

"It is somewhat difficult to study the effects of curcumin in a large number of patients because these experiments cost a lot of money."

That says it all, doesn't it? I'm surprised some small, maverick drug start-up hasn't researched curcumin and found some way to patent it in a concentrated form. Then large clinical trials could be justified, and the company could sell the "modified" capsules for 100 times the street value...

How discouraging! To think the only way to help tens of thousands of multiple myeloma patients gain access to optimum dosing data is for some company to get involved and then pass along millions of dollars of research costs, large executive salaries, a sales force and marketing on to us. Oh, and don't forget the "profit." Anyone out there want to team-up and make millions?

Feel good and keep smiling! Pat

Purple Ride

Friday, August 26, 2011