Anti-Cancer Properties of Two Intravenously Administrable Curcumin Formulations as Evaluated in the 3D Patient-Derived Cancer Spheroid Model

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver

Curcumin (Cur) is widely used as a complementary agent in cancer patients, and its therapeutic value depends strongly on formulation and patient-specific biology. Spheroid samples from 82 patients were treated for 72 h with two curcumin formulations (CurA, CurB) either alone or combined. Cell viability and morphology were quantified after 72 h, showing significant inhibition versus solvent controls. Effects varied across cancer types and patient age groups, with CurB producing stronger actions in metastasized, heavily pretreated tumors, and combination regimens outperforming monotherapy in selected samples.

LanguageEnglish

CategoryResearch & Report

FormatPDF

Pages22

Reading Time55 min

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Abstract

Introduction

Objective and rationale

Background on curcumin bioavailability and clinical uncertainty

Materials and methods

3D patient-derived spheroid model

Article Anti-Cancer Properties of Two Intravenously Administrable Curcumin Formulations as Evaluated in the 3D Patient-Derived Cancer Spheroid Model Marlene Niederreiter 1, Julia Klein 1, Sebastian B. M. Schmitz 1, Jens Werner 1,2 and Barbara Mayer 1,2,3, * Citation: Niederreiter, M.; Klein, J.; Schmitz, S.B.M.; Werner, J.; Mayer, B. Anti-Cancer Properties of Two Intravenously Administrable Curcumin Formulations as Evaluated in the 3D Patient-Derived Cancer Spheroid Model. Int. J. Mol. Sci. 2024, 25, 8543. [https://doi.org/10.3390/](https://doi.org/10.3390/)[ ](https://doi.org/10.3390/)ijms25158543 Academic Editors: Raffaele Capasso, Lorenza Trabalzini and Federica Finetti Received: 11 June 2024 Revised: 26 July 2024 Accepted: 29 July 2024 Published: 5 August 2024 Copyright: © 2024 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY) license ([https://](https://)[ ](https://)[creativecommons.org/licenses/by/](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[ ](creativecommons.org/licenses/by/)[4.0/](4.0/)) . 1 Department of General, Visceral and Transplant Surgery, Ludwig-Maximilians University Munich, Marchioninistraße 15, 81377 Munich, Germany; marlene.niederreiter@med.uni-muenchen.de (M.N.); [julie-klein@gmx.net](julie-klein@gmx.net) (J.K.); [sebastian.schmitz@med.uni-muenchen.de](sebastian.schmitz@med.uni-muenchen.de) (S.B.M.S.); [jens.werner@med.uni-muenchen.de](jens.werner@med.uni-muenchen.de) (J.W.) 2 German Cancer Consortium (DKTK), Partner Site Munich, Pettenkoferstraße 8a, 80336 Munich, Germany 3 SpheroTec GmbH, Am Klopferspitz 19, 82152 Martinsried, Germany * Correspondence: barbara.mayer@med.uni-muenchen.de Abstract: Curcumin (Cur) is a heavily used complementary derived drug from cancer patients. Spheroid samples derived from 82 patients were prepared and treated after 48 h with two Cur formulations (CurA, CurB) in mono-and combination therapy. After 72 h, cell viability and morphology were assessed. The Cur formulations had significant inhibitory effects of −8.47%(p < 0.001), CurA of −10.01%(−50.14–23.11%, p = 0.001) and CurB of −6.30%(−33.50–19.30%, p = 0.006), compared to their solvent controls Polyethylene-glycol, β-Cyclodextrin (CurA) and Kolliphor-ELP, Citrate (CurB) . Cur formulations were more effective in prostate cancer (−19.54%) and less effective in gynecological non-breast cancers (0.30%) . CurA showed better responses in samples of patients <40 (−13.81%) and >70 years of age (−17.74%) . CurB had stronger effects in metastasized and heavily pretreated tumors. Combinations of Cur formulations and standard therapies were superior in 20/47 samples (42.55%) and inferior in 7/47 (14.89%) . CurB stimulated chemo-doublets more strongly than monotherapies (−0.53% vs. −6.51%, p = 0.022) and more effectively than CurA (−6.51% vs. 3.33%, p = 0.005) . Combinations of Cur formulations with Artesunate, Resveratrol and vitamin C were superior in 35/70 (50.00%) and inferior in 16/70 (22.86%) of samples. Cur formulations were significantly enhanced by combination with Artesunate (p = 0.020) . Cur formulations showed a high variance in their anti-cancer effects, suggesting a need for individual testing before administration. Keywords: curcumin; curcumin formulations; 3D cancer spheroid model; solid tumors; patient derived; Kolliphor ELP; β-Cyclodextrin; polyethylene glycol 1. Introduction Curcumin (Cur) is one of the most heavily used complementary substances by cancer patients [1] . Understanding the regulatory impact of Cur on carcinogenesis and tumor progression represents an intensely investigated subject in cancer research. A substantial number of analyses of cancer cell lines suggest that Cur has an impact on a variety of molecular signaling pathways [2–5] . In addition, induction of apoptosis was observed inpatient-related tissues after the treatment of tumor patients w

FAQs

How were the curcumin formulations tested in this study?

Spheroid samples derived from 82 patients were treated with two formulations (CurA and CurB) in mono- and combination therapy, and viability and morphology were assessed after 72 h.

What overall anti-cancer effects were observed?

Cur formulations showed significant inhibitory effects compared with solvent controls, with CurA and CurB each demonstrating measurable reductions in viability, though magnitude varied by condition.

Do the effects differ by cancer type, patient age, or treatment context?

Yes. Cur was more effective in prostate cancer and less effective in gynecological non-breast cancers; CurA responses differed by patient age, and CurB showed stronger effects in metastasized and heavily pretreated tumors.

Sep 21, 2026

Uploaded by Oliver