Orally Administered Curcumin Inhibits Breast Cancer In vivo and Reduces Cell Proliferation In vitro in an Iron Dependent Manner

Background: Increased intracellular iron metabolism is a hallmark of breast cancer. Curcumin is an iron chelator with suggested anti-proliferative effects in breast cancer cell lines. However, preclinical studies in murine models are required to validate these important benefits. Aims: Therefore, this study aimed to determine if the iron-chelating properties of curcumin are responsible for its anti-proliferative effect in breast cancer cells and to investigate the translation of this effect to in vivo models. Methods: For in vitro experiments, human MCF-7 and mouse 4T1 breast cancer cells were tested. Cell proliferation was assessed in the presence and absence of different concentrations of FAC (ferric ammonium citrate) and curcumin. For in vivo studies, 4T1 cells were implanted into BALB/c mice. After tumor development, animals were divided into four groups (n=5); control, curcumin, optimized curcumin (OC) and chemotherapy group. Tumor volumes were calculated prior and posterior oral gavage treatments. Result: Curcumin inhibited cell proliferation in both MCF-7 and 4T1 cell lines in a seemingly iron-dependent manner. FAC addition inhibited the anti-proliferative effect exhibited by curcumin. Moreover, curcumin group showed a significantly decreased in tumor growth; interestingly, treatment with OC supplement induced the opposite effect. Conclusion: These results suggest that curcumin may have an important positive impact on breast cancer, due to its iron-dependent and anti-proliferative properties.