Synthetic curcumin analog: inhibiting the invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis in human laryngeal carcinoma cells via NF-kB pathway

Laryngeal carcinoma, the most common among head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), induces 1% of all cancer deaths. Curcumin the active constituent of turmeric, is shown to be effective in the treatment of various cancers. In the present study, we explored the mechanistic role of bis-demethoxy curcumin analog (BDMC-A) as a chemotherapeutic agent. We investigated its inhibitory effect on invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis in human laryngeal carcinoma (Hep-2) cells in comparison with curcumin. The effect of curcumin and BDMC-A on transcription factors (NF-κB, p65, c-Jun, c-Fos, STAT3, 5, PPAR-γ, β-catenin, COX-2, MMP-9, VEGF, TIMP-2) involved in signal transduction cascade, invasion, and angiogenesis in Hep-2 cells were quantified using Western blotting and RT-PCR technique. ELISA was used to measure the pro-inflammatory markers in Hep-2 cells treated with curcumin and BDMC-A. The results showed that BDMC-A inhibits the transcription factors NF-κB, p65, c-Jun, c-Fos, STAT3, STAT5, PPAR-γ and β-catenin, which are responsible for tumor progression and malignancy. Moreover, BDMC-A treatment downregulated MMP-9, VEGF, TGF- β, IL-6 and IL-8 and upregulated TIMP-2 levels. The effects were more significant compared to curcumin. Our overall results revealed that BDMC-A more effectively inhibited the markers of invasion, angiogenesis and metastasis in comparison with curcumin.