A bio-drug from turmeric to treat cancer

• CSIR-Center for Cellular and Molecular Biology(CCMB) scientists in collaboration with CSIR- National Chemical Laboratory(NCL) announced that they have made progress towards developing a non-toxic bio-drug.
• It is derived from turmeric through a gene silencing approach to treat cancer.

Cancer

• Leading cause of death worldwide - nearly 10 million deaths in 2020.
• Need for development of novel strategies to combat cancer - chemo is toxic.

Bio-drug

• Also called Biologic agent or biological agent.
• A substance made from a living organism or its products.
• Used in the prevention, diagnosis, or treatment of cancer and other diseases.
• Includes antibodies, vaccines.

RNA

• A complex compound - cellular protein synthesis.
• Even replaces DNA as a carrier of genetic codes in some viruses.
• 3 well-known RNAs - messenger RNA (mRNA), transfer RNA (tRNA), and ribosomal RNA (rRNA)
• Present in all organisms.
• Carry out biochemical reactions similar to enzymes.
• Complex regulatory functions in cells.
• Play important roles in both normal cellular processes and diseases.

mRNA

• Carries genetic codes from the DNA in the nucleus to ribosomes.
• Information in DNA cannot be decoded directly into proteins. First transcribed or copied into mRNA.
• Each molecule of mRNA encodes the information for one protein. Specifies the incorporation of a particular amino acid within the protein.
• In cytoplasm - depending on the code carried by mRNA - a specific protein is produced.
• Key role - protein synthesis.

Gene silencing approach

• Double stranded RNA (ds-RNA) molecule used: ds-RNA - a key activator of the innate immune system
• ds-RNA helps in silencing a specific mRNA (producing disease causing protein at times).
• ds-RNA binds to the disease causing mRNA by producing RNA interfering silencing complex (risc).
• Prevents the translation of the mRNA.
• Prevents protein production.
• Prevents from diseases.
• RNAi occurs in all eukaryotic organisms as cellular defense.
• Not all mRNA causes disease causing proteins.
• A promising tool for targeted and focused therapy - specified to a target (mRNA).
• Challenge : Lack of safe and effective delivery methods for RNAi molecules.

Solution

• Bio-drug containing the nano-curcumin structures derived from turmeric - used to encapsulate the RNAi and other molecules targets specific tissues.
• Curcumin :
• Hydrophobic bioactive ingredient.
• Found in a rhizome of the turmeric plant.
• Variety of biological and pharmacological action.
• Drawbacks -
• Low water solubility, poor bioavailability, and poor metabolism.
• Enhanced curcumins biological & pharmacological activity for efficient delivery - nanoencapsulation.
• A potential nanorange formulation of curcumin - Nanocurcumin
• Increases all the biological and pharmacological benefits of curcumin.
• Curcumin + RNAi = great development in cancer treatment.
• Research - Nanocurcumin with RNAi retardation of tumor with six months survival in aggressive models of colon and breast cancer