Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study
Abstract Background Cervical cancer represents a major global health problem, ranking as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women across the globe. The primary risk factor associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Curcumin (Cur), ex...
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BMC
2025-05-01
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| Series: | Virology Journal |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02738-2 |
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| author | Mehrnaz Karimi Masoud Parsania Negar Motakef Kazemi Mahnaz Qomi Mahsa Hadipour Jahromy |
| author_facet | Mehrnaz Karimi Masoud Parsania Negar Motakef Kazemi Mahnaz Qomi Mahsa Hadipour Jahromy |
| author_sort | Mehrnaz Karimi |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Abstract Background Cervical cancer represents a major global health problem, ranking as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women across the globe. The primary risk factor associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Curcumin (Cur), extracted from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, is an anticancer, chemoprotective, and gene/protein regulating agent, which refers to its ability to exert beneficial effects in various aspects of cancer prevention and treatment. Objectives This study investigated the tumor inhibitory effect (anti-tumoral effect) of a novel curcumin nanoemulsion (Cur-NE) on HPV+ TC-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Cur-NE and Cur on TC-1 cancer cells and MC3T3 normal cells. In vitro assessment was performed using flow cytometry (Annexin/PI) to examine apoptosis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis to determine the gene expression levels of E6 and E7 human papillomavirus oncogenes, as well as their associated protein factors, p53 and Rb. In addition, C57BL/6 female mice burdening HPV + TC-1 tumor as cervical cancer models were used to investigate the tumor inhibitory effect of the Cur-NE in vivo compared to free curcumin. Results In vitro anti-tumoral studies showed that apoptosis and inhibiting cellular proliferation in TC-1 cells were induced effectively by curcumin nanoemulsion. Accordingly, curcumin nanoemulsion reduced mRNA expression levels of E6 and E7 HPV oncogenes and increased p53 and Rb levels in a concentration lower than free curcumin (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the suppression and inhibition of subcutaneous TC-1 tumor growth were more pronounced with the curcumin nanoemulsion compared to free curcumin (P < 0.01). Conclusion These preeminent preclinical results indicate the potential of this curcumin nanoformulation as an efficient treatment approach for cervical cancer. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb1b26e7147147ef959f89ec5c73ee67 |
| institution | OA Journals |
| issn | 1743-422X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2025-05-01 |
| publisher | BMC |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Virology Journal |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb1b26e7147147ef959f89ec5c73ee672025-08-20T02:39:03ZengBMCVirology Journal1743-422X2025-05-012211810.1186/s12985-025-02738-2Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo studyMehrnaz Karimi0Masoud Parsania1Negar Motakef Kazemi2Mahnaz Qomi3Mahsa Hadipour Jahromy4Department of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityDepartment of Microbiology, Faculty of Medicine, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityDepartment of Medical Nanotechnology, Faculty of Advanced Sciences and Technology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityDepartment of Medicinal Chemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityHerbal Pharmacology Research Center, School of Medicine, Department of Pharmacology, Tehran Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad UniversityAbstract Background Cervical cancer represents a major global health problem, ranking as the fourth most prevalent cancer among women across the globe. The primary risk factor associated with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer is the human papillomavirus (HPV). Curcumin (Cur), extracted from the root of the Curcuma longa plant, is an anticancer, chemoprotective, and gene/protein regulating agent, which refers to its ability to exert beneficial effects in various aspects of cancer prevention and treatment. Objectives This study investigated the tumor inhibitory effect (anti-tumoral effect) of a novel curcumin nanoemulsion (Cur-NE) on HPV+ TC-1 cells in vitro and in vivo. Methods The MTT assay was used to evaluate the cytotoxicity of Cur-NE and Cur on TC-1 cancer cells and MC3T3 normal cells. In vitro assessment was performed using flow cytometry (Annexin/PI) to examine apoptosis and quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis to determine the gene expression levels of E6 and E7 human papillomavirus oncogenes, as well as their associated protein factors, p53 and Rb. In addition, C57BL/6 female mice burdening HPV + TC-1 tumor as cervical cancer models were used to investigate the tumor inhibitory effect of the Cur-NE in vivo compared to free curcumin. Results In vitro anti-tumoral studies showed that apoptosis and inhibiting cellular proliferation in TC-1 cells were induced effectively by curcumin nanoemulsion. Accordingly, curcumin nanoemulsion reduced mRNA expression levels of E6 and E7 HPV oncogenes and increased p53 and Rb levels in a concentration lower than free curcumin (P < 0.05). Furthermore, the suppression and inhibition of subcutaneous TC-1 tumor growth were more pronounced with the curcumin nanoemulsion compared to free curcumin (P < 0.01). Conclusion These preeminent preclinical results indicate the potential of this curcumin nanoformulation as an efficient treatment approach for cervical cancer.https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02738-2Cervical cancerHPVCurcuminNanoemulsionTC-1 cellsAnti-tumor |
| spellingShingle | Mehrnaz Karimi Masoud Parsania Negar Motakef Kazemi Mahnaz Qomi Mahsa Hadipour Jahromy Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study Virology Journal Cervical cancer HPV Curcumin Nanoemulsion TC-1 cells Anti-tumor |
| title | Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study |
| title_full | Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study |
| title_fullStr | Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study |
| title_full_unstemmed | Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study |
| title_short | Curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses HPV oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression: in vitro and in vivo study |
| title_sort | curcumin nanoemulsion suppresses hpv oncogenes and inhibits cervical cancer progression in vitro and in vivo study |
| topic | Cervical cancer HPV Curcumin Nanoemulsion TC-1 cells Anti-tumor |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1186/s12985-025-02738-2 |
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