Curcumin can reverse the chemotherapy resistance of primary liver cancer and prolong survival rate.
The main crux of drug resistance in liver cancer patients is that long-term application of the antitumor drug sorafenib causes hypoxia, which in turn enhances glycolysis .
Liu Lianxin, director of the Department of Liver Surgery of the First Affiliated Hospital of Harbin Medical University, led the major project "Research on the Mechanism of Chemo-resistance in Primary Liver Cancer and New Clinical Intervention Strategies". The combined use of rafenib can not only significantly enhance the efficacy of the two, but also reverse the resistance of sorafenib.
Primary liver cancer has the characteristics of high malignancy, fast growth, wide range of metastasis and high recurrence rate. At present, sorafenib is the only targeted drug for primary liver cancer, but its final efficacy is not yet ideal and it can cause side effects. Liu Lianxin’s team found that sorafenib can produce a tumor hypoxic microenvironment, which in turn induces tumor glycolysis, which ultimately reduces the efficacy of the drug, and even becomes ineffective. Curcumin extracted from the traditional Chinese medicine turmeric has the effects of lowering blood fat, anti-tumor, anti-inflammatory, and anti-oxidant. Studies have shown that curcumin and its analogs can up-regulate VHL protein, helping Sorafenib "turn defeat into victory." The combination of the two can improve the efficacy, prolong the 5-year survival rate of patients with primary liver cancer and improve the prognosis.
