The Complex Triad of Combinatorial Anticancer Therapy: Curcumin, p53, and Reactive Oxygen Species

Cancer therapies based on single target molecules have proved to be ineffective both in terms of their desired action and associated undesired side effects. Combinatorial cancer therapies involve selection of different components with targeted effects, which can lead to a synergistic effect for anticancer therapy. Curcumin induces the expression of p53 and downregulates that of Mdm2, ultimately resulting in induction of apoptosis. Subsequently, there is an elevated expression of p53-induced genes, which activate reactive oxygen species (ROS) thereby establishing cellular communication and disposition of any aberrant cell by growth arrest or apoptotic cell death. As a whole, the triad of curcumin, p53, and ROS presents a unique and promising solution to the designing of modern and patient-specific cancer therapeutics.