Whether curcumin can overcome chemoresistance and enhance the activity of thalidomide and bortezomib, used to treat patients with MM
Hi David I see that I wrote to you five years ago when I hadn’t had any chemo. Now I’m on the fifth level of treatment and not having a good time.
It’s called Pomalidimide (pomalyst) in tablet form and I also take blood thinners, anti virals and steroids. I was on the third level of treatment at the end of last year which resulted in me being on life support on Christmas Day.
Anyway I’m still here and thinking about taking curcumin and green tea. Do you know if they would help with my current regime which seems to be causing me a lot of pain?
I also wonder about the different makes of the curcumin and green tea as I’m in Scotland. I’ve been following you since my diagnosis of MM in 2009 and glad you’re doing well. June
Hi June-
It is good to hear from you after all these years. The more I study MM, the more I learn about MM.
Several things. First, curcumin has been shown to enhance both Revlimid and Thalidomide. Both of these chemo regimens are called Immunomodulatory Treatments (iMiD).
Pomalyst/pomalidomide is the third generation iMiD and is similar to both Rev. and Thal.
Also, I can’t find any info, any studies about pomalyst and green tea- for or against. I guess the main point is that both curcumin and green tea, while both have been shown to kill MM, may or may not help pomalyst much.
I will say however, that there are a host of other non-toxic supplements that have been shown to kill MM. I will link the MM CC supplements guide.
I can make further suggestions if I know more about your specific situation and MM. What other therapies have you had previously?
Are you experiencing any side effects such as nerve damage?
Have you undergone a chemo regimen called Velcade (bortezomib) or Revlimid yet?
Let me know, thanks-
David Emerson
- MM Survivor
- MM Cancer Coach
- Director PeopleBeatingCancer
Recommended Reading:
Myeloma is characterized by the malignancy of a type of white blood cell (WBC) called B cells. The most common type of this blood cancer is multiple myeloma, which affects areas in the body where the bone marrow is active — including the spine, skull, pelvis, rib cage, and areas around the shoulders and hips.
“Curcumin (diferuloylmethane), a yellow pigment in turmeric, has been shown to inhibit the activation of NF-κB, a transcription factor closely linked to chemoresistance in multiple myeloma (MM) cells. Whether curcumin can overcome chemoresistance and enhance the activity of thalidomide and bortezomib, used to treat patients with MM, was investigated in vitro and in xenograft model in nude mice. Our results show that curcumin inhibited the proliferation of human MM cells regardless of their sensitivity to dexamethasone, doxorubicin, or melphalan…
