In a recent study from Washington State University, researchers found that turmeric may help stop cancer cell growth.
They developed a drug delivery system using curcumin, the main ingredient in turmeric, that successfully inhibits bone cancer cells while helping with the growth of healthy bone cells.
The findings may lead to better postoperative treatments for people with bone cancer called osteosarcoma.
Turmeric has an active ingredient called curcumin, which has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and bone-building capabilities.
It has also been shown to prevent various forms of cancer.
However, the compound can’t be absorbed well in the body when taken orally. This is because it is metabolized too quickly.
Young patients with bone cancer are often treated with high doses of chemotherapy before and after surgery. But the chemotherapy often has many harmful side effects.
Therefore, it is important to develop gentler treatment options to help patients recover from bone damage while suppressing tumor growth.
In the study, the team used 3-D printing to build support scaffolds out of calcium phosphate.
They incorporated curcumin, encapsulated in a vesicle of fat molecules into the scaffolds, allowing for the gradual release of the chemical.
The researchers found that this drug delivery system could reduce the growth of bone cancer cells by 96% after 11 days as compared to untreated samples. The system also promoted healthy bone cell growth.
The team says the study introduces a new era of integration and may provide a better tool for bone tissue engineering.
They now are continuing the research and examining the benefits of integrating other natural compounds in biomedical technology.
If you care about cancer, please read studies about how to reduce pancreatic cancer spread by nearly 90%, and why some processed meat is strongly linked to cancer while others are not.
For more information about cancer, please see recent studies about diet soda linked to lower death risk in colon cancer, and results showing ginger and chili peppers work together to lower cancer risk.
The study was published in the journal ACS Applied Materials and Interfaces and conducted by Susmita Bose et al.
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