The nontoxic natural compound Curcumin exerts anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and anti-invasive properties against malignant gliomas.

Background: New drugs are constantly sought after to improve the survival of patients with malignant gliomas. The ideal substance would selectively target tumor cells without eliciting toxic side effects. Here, we report on the anti-proliferative, anti-migratory, and anti-invasive properties of the natural, nontoxic compound Curcumin observed in five human glioblastoma (GBM) cell lines in vitro.

Inhibition of the JAK-2/STAT3 signaling pathway impedes the migratory and invasive potential of human glioblastoma cells.

The objective of current treatment strategies for glioblastoma (GBM) is cytoreduction. Unfortunately, the deleterious migratory and invasive behavior of glial tumors remains largely unattended. The transcription factor signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) 3 is known to be involved in the development and progression of many different tumor types, including malignant gliomas.