The Longevity Project » curcumin http://thelongevityproject.com Prevention, cognition, sustainable aging Wed, 01 Feb 2012 10:20:04 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.0 Curcumin decreases amyloid-beta peptide levels by attenuating the maturation of amyloid-beta precursor protein http://thelongevityproject.com/curcumin-decreases-amyloid-beta-peptide-levels-by-attenuating-the-maturation-of-amyloid-beta-precursor-protein/ http://thelongevityproject.com/curcumin-decreases-amyloid-beta-peptide-levels-by-attenuating-the-maturation-of-amyloid-beta-precursor-protein/#comments Mon, 14 Mar 2011 15:34:16 +0000 TLP http://thelongevityproject.com/?p=1017 Alzheimer disease (AD) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease with no cure. The pathogenesis of AD is believed to be driven primarily by amyloid-beta (Abeta), the principal component of senile plaques. Abeta is an approximately 4-kDa peptide generated via cleavage of the amyloid-beta precursor protein (APP). Curcumin is a compound in the widely used culinary spice, turmeric, which possesses potent and broad biological activities, including anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities, chemopreventative effects, and effects on protein trafficking. Recent in vivo studies indicate that curcumin is able to reduce Abeta-related pathology in transgenic AD mouse models via unknown molecular mechanisms. Here, we investigated the effects of curcumin on Abeta levels and APP processing in various cell lines and mouse primary cortical neurons. We show for the first time that curcumin potently lowers Abeta levels by attenuating the maturation of APP in the secretory pathway. These data provide a mechanism of action for the ability of curcumin to attenuate amyloid-beta pathology.

J Biol Chem. 2010 Sep 10;285(37):28472-80. Epub 2010 Jul 9.

Zhang C, Browne A, Child D, Tanzi RE.

Genetics and Aging Research Unit, MassGeneral Institute for Neurodegenerative Disease, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129-2060, USA.

]]> http://thelongevityproject.com/curcumin-decreases-amyloid-beta-peptide-levels-by-attenuating-the-maturation-of-amyloid-beta-precursor-protein/feed/ 0 “Spicing up” of the immune system by curcumin http://thelongevityproject.com/spicing-up-of-the-immune-system-by-curcumin/ http://thelongevityproject.com/spicing-up-of-the-immune-system-by-curcumin/#comments Fri, 30 Mar 2007 14:05:16 +0000 TLP http://thelongevityproject.com/spicing-up-of-the-immune-system-by-curcumin/ Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is an orange-yellow component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), a spice often found in curry powder. Traditionally known for its an antiinflammatory effects, curcumin has been shown in the last two decades to be a potent immunomodulatory agent that can modulate the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells. Curcumin can also downregulate the expression of various proinflammatory cytokines including TNF, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and chemokines, most likely through inactivation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Interestingly, however, curcumin at low doses can also enhance antibody responses. This suggests that curcumin’s reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer’s disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system. Together, these findings warrant further consideration of curcumin as a therapy for immune disorders.

J Clin Immunol. 2007 Jan;27(1):19-35. Epub 2007 Jan 9.Click here to read

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