Curry ingredient fights skin cancer -U.S. study

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The compound that makes curry yellow
could help fight skin cancer, U.S. researchers reported on
Monday.

They said curcumin, found in the spice turmeric, interferes
with melanoma cells.

Tests in laboratory dishes show that curcumin made melanoma
skin cancer cells more likely to self-destruct in a process
known as apoptosis.

The same team has found that curcumin helped stop the
spread of breast cancer tumor cells to the lungs of mice.

Bharat Aggarwal of the Department of Experimental
Therapeutics at the University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer
Center in Houston and colleagues treated three batches of
melanoma cells, known as cell lines, with curcumin at different
doses and for varying times.

The curcumin suppressed two proteins that tumor cells use
to keep themselves immortal, the researchers write in next
month’s issue of the journal Cancer.

“Based on our studies, we conclude the curcumin is a potent
suppressor of cell viability and inducer of apoptosis in
melanoma cell lines,” Aggarwal’s team wrote.

“Future investigation to determine the effects of curcumin
in animal models of melanoma and clinical trials are planned.”

Earlier research has shown that curcumin, which acts as an
antioxidant, can help prevent tumors from forming in the
laboratory.

Aggarwal said people who eat plenty of turmeric have lower
rates of some cancers, although the spice itself has not been
shown to reduce cancer risk in people.