Protective effects of dietary curcumin in mouse model of chemically induced colitis are strain dependent:

Curcumin (diferulolylmethane) has been shown to have a protective role in mouse models of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to reduce the relapse rate in human ulcerative colitis (UC), thus making it a potentially viable supportive treatment option. Trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS) colitis in NKT-deficient SJL/J mice has been described as Th1-mediated inflammation, whereas BALB/c mice are believed to exhibit a mixed Th1/Th2 response

Post-Translational Loss of Renal TRPV5 Calcium Channel Expression, Ca2+ Wasting, and Bone Loss in Experimental Colitis

Dysregulated Ca2+ homeostasis likely contributes to the etiology of IBD-associated loss of bone mineral density (BMD). Experimental colitis leads to decreased expression of Klotho, a protein which supports renal Ca2+ reabsorption by stabilizing TRPV5 channel on the apical membrane of distal tubule epithelial cells

Downregulation of aging-related Klotho gene in experimental colitis: the role of TNF and IFN-γ

Klotho deficiency in hypomorphic KL mice leads to premature senescence and phenotype consistent with impaired mineral homeostasis. Klotho has anti-inflammatory properties protecting from NO-induced endothelial dysfunction, reduces the expression of endothelial adhesion molecules, and may contribute to T-cell dysfunction. Since defective Ca2+/Pi homeostasis leading to osteopenia/osteoporosis is frequently associated with human IBD, we investigated the changes in Klotho gene expression as a consequence of experimental colitis

The Role of Curcumin in Modulating Colonic Microbiota During Colitis and Colon Cancer Prevention:

Intestinal microbiota influences the progression of colitis-associated colorectal cancer (CAC). With diet being a key determinant of the gut microbial ecology, dietary interventions are an attractive avenue for the prevention of CAC. Curcumin is the most active constituent of the ground rhizome of the Curcuma Longa plant, which has been demonstrated to have anti-inflammatory, anti-oxidative and anti-proliferative properties

Novel therapeutic strategy for the treatment of Inflammatory Bowel Diseases

At least 1.4 million of Americans suffer from Inflammatory Bowel Diseases (IBD). IBD (Crohn’s disease and ulcerative colitis) is a spontaneously relapsing, immunologically mediated disorder of the gastrointestinal tract. Complete medical cure remains a challenge and the probability of relapse is over 70%. Curcumin has been shown to have a protective role in mouse models of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD) and to reduce the relapse rate in human ulcerative colitis (UC), thus making it a potentially viable supportive treatment option. The objective of this research project was to provide a preclinical evaluation of curcumin’s efficacy in relevant models of human IBD, and to investigate the molecular mechanisms of its protective mechanism of action. (1) We investigated the effect of dietary curcumin in trinitrobenzene sulfonic acid (TNBS)-induced colitis in SJL/J mice (Th-1/Th-17 response) and in BALB/c mice (Th-1/Th-2 response). We demonstrated that the efficacy of dietary curcumin varies in the two strains. Although the exact mechanism underlying these differences remains unclear, our observations suggest that the therapeutic value of dietary curcumin may vary depending on the nature of immune dysregulation. (2) We further confirmed those findings and we investigated the effects of curcumin on the development of colitis, immune activation, and in vivo NF-κB activity in germ-free IL-10^(–/–) colonized with specific pathogen-free microflora. In this model resembling CD, we demonstrated that IL-10 and curcumin act synergistically to downregulate inflammation. (3) Neutrophil aberrant accumulation at the intestinal mucosa is a characteristic hallmark of inflammatory conditions such as ulcerative colitis. Neutrophil transepithelial migration leads to an impaired epithelial barrier function, perpetuation of inflammation and tissue destruction. Therefore, we investigated the effect of curcumin on neutrophil polarization and motility. Our results indicated that curcumin interferes with colonic inflammation partly through chemokine expression inhibition and neutrophil chemotaxis and chemokinesis inhibition. We also demonstrated that curcumin significantly reduced epithelial tissue injury generated by neutrophil transepithelial migration and protease release. Those findings significantly add to our understanding of the mechanism by which curcumin affects the innate and adaptive immune response in IBD and may help develop innovative therapeutic strategy for IBD

Natural killer cells play a key role in the antitumor immunity generated by chaperone-rich cell lysate vaccination

Tumor derived chaperone-rich cell lysate (CRCL) when isolated from tumor tissues is a potent vaccine that contains at least 4 of the highly immunogenic heat shock proteins (HSP) such as HSP70, HSP90, glucose related protein 94 and calreticulin. We have previously documented that CRCL provides both a source of tumor antigens and danger signals triggering dendritic cell (DC) activation. Immunization with tumor derived CRCL elicits tumor-specific T cell responses leading to tumor regression. In the current study, we further dissect the mechanisms by which CRCL simulates the immune system, and demonstrate that natural killer (NK) cells are required for effective antitumor effects to take place. Our results illustrate that CRCL directly stimulates proinflammatory cytokine and chemokine production by NK cells, which may lead to activation and recruitment of macrophages at the tumor site. Thus, this report provides further insight into the function of CRCL as an immunostimulant against cancer