Evaluation of Anticancer Effects of Curcumin on Multicellular Breast Cancer Spheroids

OBJECTIVE The anticancer properties of curcumin were determined in several studies, but on breast cancer stem cells (BCSCs) derived from a heterogeneous population of tumor cells, these effects have not been previously reported. This study aimed to evaluate these effects. METHODS After the development of an animal model of breast cancer, a heterogeneous population of breast cancer cells were isolated from the tumor mass. Spheroid formation as a reliable in vitro assay to assess the presence of BCSCs was conducted among these cells. The cytotoxic activity of curcumin on multicellular breast cancer spheroids was assessed by MTT assays. Induction of apoptosis was measured by Annexin V-propidium iodide (pi) flow cytometric analysis. RESULTS The curcumin has potent cytotoxic and apoptotic effects on breast cancer spheroids. Although, compared with monolayer, breast cancer cells are more resistant to apoptosis when cultured as multicellular spheroids. CONCLUSION This is the first report of the anticancer effects of curcumin on breast cancer stem like cells. Compared to many anti-cancer drugs and compounds, which have very limited ability to fight cancer stem cells, curcumin is a good candidate to combat BCSCs.