Curcumin Induces Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma Cell Death Via Reduction of the Inhibitors of Apoptosis.

Objectives: The inhibitor of apoptosis (IAP) proteins are critical modulators of chemotherapeutic resistance in various cancers. To address the alarming emergence of chemotherapeutic resistance in pancreatic cancer, we investigated the efficacy of the turmeric derivative curcumin in reducing IAP protein and mRNA expression resulting in pancreatic cancer cell death.

Methods: The pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell line PANC-1 was used to assess curcumin's effects in pancreatic cancer.