HPV: A new study published in EurekAlert concluded that Curcumin, an antioxidant, found in the curry spice Tumeric, will slow or limit the activity of the Human Papilloma Virus (HPV), that causes oral and cervical cancer. Authors say “Tumeric has established antiviral and anti-cancer properties and according to our new findings, we could say that its good for oral health too.” The researchers first noted the effect of curcumin on HPV and cervical cancer cells in 2005 and because oral cancer rates are rising they tested the same hypothesis on oral cancer. They found that Curcumin turns down the expression of HPV in infected oral cancer cells by down regulating the level of cellular transcription factors AP-1 and NF-KB and this suggests a new potential new role for Curcumin in cancer control.
Tags: cervical cancer, curcumin, HPV, oral cancer, research, tumeric