Abstract
Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) are transmembrane cell-surface proteins that act as signal transducers. They regulate essential cellular processes like proliferation, apoptosis, differentiation and metabolism. RTK alteration occurs in a broad spectrum of cancers, emphasising its crucial role in cancer progression and as a suitable therapeutic target. The use of small molecule RTK inhibitors however, has been crippled by the emergence of resistance, highlighting the need for a pleiotropic anti-cancer agent that can replace or be used in combination with existing pharmacological agents to enhance treatment efficacy. Curcumin is an attractive therapeutic agent mainly due to its potent anti-cancer effects, extensive range of targets and minimal toxicity. Out of the numerous documented targets of curcumin, RTKs appear to be one of the main nodes of curcumin-mediated inhibition. Many studies have found that curcumin influences RTK activation and their downstream signaling pathways resulting in increased apoptosis, decreased proliferation and decreased migration in cancer both in vitro and in vivo. This review focused on how curcumin exhibits anti-cancer effects through inhibition of RTKs and downstream signaling pathways like the MAPK, PI3K/Akt, JAK/STAT, and NF-κB pathways. Combination studies of curcumin and RTK inhibitors were also analysed with emphasis on their common molecular targets.
Highlights
In 2020, The International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN reported approximately 19.3 million new cases of cancer and 10 million deaths globally with data from 185 countries/territories
Curcumin possesses many of the features required to be an ideal anti-cancer therapeutic agent, especially with its enigmatic ability to singularly target a legion of signaling molecules
Further studies revealed that curcumin targets Receptor tyrosine kinases (RTKs) and their downstream signaling pathways such as mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K)/Akt, Janus kinase (JAK)/signal transducers and activators of transcription (STATs), and NF-κB pathways which are involved in essential cellular processes like proliferation, apoptosis, cell cycle progression, and migration
Summary
In 2020, The International Agency for Research Cancer (IARC) GLOBOCAN reported approximately 19.3 million new cases of cancer and 10 million deaths globally with data from 185 countries/territories. The effects of curcumin are mediated through RTKs and involves many other components/molecular targets as mentioned before, RTKs seem to be at the core of these processes This current review discussed the role of receptor tyrosine kinases namely epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR), fibroblast growth factor receptor (FGFR), platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor (IGF-1R), and hepatocyte growth factor receptor (HGFR) in cancer and how curcumin targets these RTK signaling pathways including the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinases (PI3K)/Akt, the Janus Kinase/ Signal Transducer and Activator of Transcription (JAK/STAT) and NF-κB pathways. Kinase inhibitors were reviewed with a particular focus on RTK inhibitors namely those targeting EGFR, VEGFR, and PDGFR
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
