Chemopreventive Action Of Curcumin Against Lymphoma

A healthy immune system is like an inbuilt armor that helps keep disease-carrying foreign invaders at bay. Unfortunately, though, this internal mechanism is itself vulnerable to a variety of illnesses that can weaken it, therefore, making it ineffective in its primary task of protecting the body. One of the most severe conditions affecting the immune system is Lymphoma, a form of cancer that impacts lymphocytes, commonly known as white blood cells.

Lymphocytes are an integral part of your body’s immune system. They are blood cells that possess the ability to generate antibodies that target disease-causing bacteria, viruses, and other toxins. Lymphocytes can also identify and neutralize those cells in the body that have been taken over by pathogens. In a way, they are like the front-line soldiers responsible for safeguarding your health by battling and defeating threats of all kinds. Lymphoma affects these fearless soldiers and renders them incompetent in the face of enemy invasion. Hodgkins Lymphoma is a variant of this disease that affects B lymphocytes and causes lymph nodes to swell up.

Some of the common symptoms of lymphoma are:

1. Swollen lymph nodes that are not bothersome or painful
2. Fever without the presence of any infection
3. Effortless loss of weight
4. Profuse sweating at night
5. Chronic fatigue
6. Itching all over the body

Risk Factors of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma:

1. Previous incidents of Epstein Barr Infection or Mono
2. An inherently feeble immune system
3. Age groups 15 to 24 and over 55 years
4. History of lymphoma in the family

Curcumin As An Augmentative Therapy For Hodgkins Lymphoma

In the case of Hodgkins Lymphoma, the one pathway that is seen to be deregulated is the Nuclear Factor Kappa B or NF-kb. Malignant cells of this kind are often seen to have a gene expression profile that sets these cells apart from the normal cells produced by a healthy immune system. The most common treatment protocols used to treat patients suffering from Lymphoma are chemo and radiotherapy. Unfortunately, while the success rate of these methods is high, there are several dangerous side effects that are also linked to them. These include – cardiotoxicity, secondary malignancies, and inability to conceive.

A natural substance known as curcumin which is extracted from turmeric has shown a lot of potential in the form of an augmentative therapy for Lymphoma patients. Curcumin is a polyphenolic pigment that possesses many therapeutic properties.

Ways in which Curcumin can be helpful in improving the outcome for Lymphoma patients:

1. Lymphoma patients often have a high rate of production of NF-Kb and its related family members. Elements that keep a check on the production of this factor are also mutated in the case of Lymphoma. NFKBIA and TNFAIP3 are two such examples of mutated NFKB inhibitors. Since these elements are mutated, NF-kb production runs unregulated. Curcumin is able to block the inflammatory and pro-cancer activity of excess NF-kb by stabilizing one of these elements, NFKBI.
2. Sometimes, certain treatment methods also trigger the overproduction of NF-kb. Curcumin supplementation can stop such an action as well. Curcumin is also able to check the action of TFR and therefore prevent the excessive production of NFKB in cancer cells.
3. Curcumin reduces the cell viability of HL cells while safeguarding normal peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Besides, curcumin supplementation causes cell cycle arrest.
4. Curcumin acts as a natural HDAC-suppressor thereby making Lymphoma cells much more sensitive to cytotoxic drugs. This helps in improving the results of standard chemotherapy.
5. Curcumin stops the Epstein Barr virus from immortalizing B-cells. Cells that have already been affected by the virus also have a higher chance of going through apoptosis in the case of curcumin supplementation.
6. Curcumin reduces the production of BCL-XL, a mutated isoform of the B cell leukemia/ lymphoma 2 (BCL2). A reduction of this compound has shown a strong correlation with better outcomes in Lymphoma patients.

Here are a few things that one should keep in mind while selecting a curcumin supplement for Lymphoma patients:

1. The curcumin should come from a wild strand
2. The curcumin used should not be treated with chemical fertilizers and pesticides
3. The curcumin should be devoid of chemical residues
4. The curcumin should be organically grown
5. The curcumin used should not be genetically modified.

Oncomin is a supplement created by Bagdara Farms and is perfect for Lymphoma patients as it satisfies all the above-mentioned criteria.