Suppression of colorectal cancer growth: Interplay between curcumin and metformin through DMT1 downregulation and ROS-mediated pathways.

ABSTRACT: The rising incidence of colorectal cancer (CRC) poses significant healthcare challenges. This study explored the therapeutic potential of combined curcumin (CUR) and metformin (MET) treatment in CRC models. Our findings indicate that the combination treatment (COMB) effectively downregulates the expression of divalent metal transporter-1 (DMT-1), leading to a reduction in cell proliferation aligned with suppression of the pAKT/mTOR/Cyclin D1 signaling pathway. The COMB increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, triggering activation of the NRF2/KEAP1 pathway. This pathway elicits an antioxidant response to manage oxidative stress in CRC cell lines. Interestingly, the response of NRF2 varied between CT26 and HCT116 cells. Moreover, our study highlights the induction of apoptosis an

SUBMITTER: Chuang HY 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC11681316 | biostudies-literature | 2025 Jan-Feb

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature