A study has evaluated curcumin and ferulic acid as an adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy. The main effects examined where on chemoresistance and cisplatin-induced ototoxixity (damage to the ear).
Platinum-based agents, such as cisplatin, are a key part of currently used chemotherapeutic therapies for several malignancies; however, the main limitations are chemoresistance and ototoxic side effects.
In this study, the US and Italian team used two different polyphenols, curcumin and ferulic acid as adjuvant chemotherapeutics evaluating:
- in vivo their antioxidant effects in protecting against cisplatin ototoxicity
- in vitro the transcription factors involved in tumor progression and cisplatin resistance
The study stated: “The results shows that both polyphenols show antioxidant and oto-protective activity in the cochlea by up-regulating Nrf-2/HO-1 pathway and downregulating p53 phosphorylation. However, only curcumin is able to influence inflammatory pathways counteracting NF-κB activation.”
Concluding their results the paper summarised: “Our data suggest that the polyphenol modulation of the adaptive stress response to cisplatin can be exerted by an interplay between the cellular defensive program and inflammation and the key players Nrf-2, NF-κB, STAT-3 and p53.”
The authors, led by Fabiola Paciello of Catholic University of the Sacred Heart in Italy, believe that polyphenols possess powerful activities and their combined use with cisplatin may be a good therapeutic strategy to pursue in clinical trials of otoprotection; however, antioxidants such as FA should be cautioned for possible anti-cytotoxic activity in patients undegoing chemotherapy.
