“Turning ON” your Tumor Suppressor Genes

Tumor suppressor genes, are genes that “turn-on” when a cell begins to rapidly reproduce for some aberrant reason. Rapid replication of cells is better known as cancer and our body’s fail-safe method for protecting us from continued cancer growth is for tumor suppressor genes to stimulate a cell-death process called apoptosis. Suppressor genes such as the retinoblastoma (Rb) and p53, are defined more by their inactivation in human cancer – that is, we talk about them when they are NOT working. Gene defects in the p53 system will fail to ‘turn-on’ cell death cycles, for example. Consequently, individuals with numerous defects in their tumor suppressor genes may express a lesser ability to kill the cancer should it occur.

Is there a WAY?

It has been a long-desired wish for most pharmaceutical companies to develop a drug that can upregulate these genes to become a desirable anticancer agent. However, God already had that idea! Curcumin is able to upregulate three important tumor suppressor genes, p53, Rb, and PTEN (phosphatase and tensin homolog), making it an effective antiproliferation and proapoptosis agent.

p53, the first tumor suppressor gene discovered, probably the most researched, and an important cell cycle and apoptosis regulator, has a major role in eliminating cancer-prone cells from replicating. Curcumin induced apoptosis in human basal carcinoma cells by upregulation of p53 [1]. Curcumin inhibited the COP9 signalosome-specific phosphorylation linked to p53 degradation by the ubiquitin-proteasome system [2].

PTEN protects cells from growing and dividing too rapidly or in an uncontrolled way by triggering apoptosis. It also inhibits migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. Somatic mutations in the PTEN gene are among the most frequent genetic changes in human cancers. In one study, wild-type PTEN enhanced curcumin-induced apoptosis and, in contrast, inactive PTEN inhibited curcumin-induced apoptosis [3]. Upregulation of PTEN expression was to inhibit vascular smooth muscle cell proliferation and arterial restenosis.

The Rb protein also plays a pivotal role in negative control of cell cycle and tumor progression. Loss of its functions (defects) may induce cell cycle deregulation, which would lead to less-controlled growth. Curcumin inhibited hyperphosphorylation (helping halt cancer growth) of Rb and cell cycle deregulation in prostate cancer cells and inhibited CDK4-mediated phosphorylation of Rb protein in cancer cells [4].

Far beyond what alternative medicine practitioners have been screaming for centuries, now research is proving that curcumin has many benefits for cancer patients. We suggest taking 1-4 capsules of Curcu-Clear, the best form of curcumin on the market.