Turmeric and curcumin extract have been extensively studied for their ability to kill various cancer cell lines. In fact, the literature is so abundant (see: 600 health benefits of turmeric) that it is both surprising and disheartening that so many patients who are in need of safe, effective and affordable treatments are not being given information about it. 

The new study identifies a number of ways in which curcumin provides an ideal CSC-targeting therapy, including:

• Regulation of the CSC self-renewal pathway:  curcumin appears to directly and indirectly influence at least three self-renewal pathways within cancer stem cells, namely, Wnt/b-catenin, sonic hedgehog 89 (SHH), and Notch. The authors list 12 difference cancer cell lines which curcumin appear to affect positively.
• Modulation of microRNA: microRNAs are short non-coding RNA sequences that regulate approximately 33% of the protein-coding genes in the human genome. They bind to target messenger RNAs (mRNAs) leading to their degradation or inactivation. Curcumin has been found to alter the expression of microRNAs in cancer stem cells in a way that would suggest a strong suppression of tumor formation.
• Direct anti-cancer activity: Curcumin exhibits the ability to selectively kill cancer cells versus healthy cells and synergizes with conventional chemotherapy agents making them more effective (in some cases less harmful).

See more at greenmedinfo.com