Title |
“Spicing Up” of the Immune System by Curcumin
|
---|---|
Published in |
Journal of Clinical Immunology, January 2007
|
DOI | 10.1007/s10875-006-9066-7 |
Pubmed ID | |
Authors |
Ganesh Chandra Jagetia, Bharat B. Aggarwal |
Abstract |
Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is an orange-yellow component of turmeric (Curcuma longa), a spice often found in curry powder. Traditionally known for its an antiinflammatory effects, curcumin has been shown in the last two decades to be a potent immunomodulatory agent that can modulate the activation of T cells, B cells, macrophages, neutrophils, natural killer cells, and dendritic cells. Curcumin can also downregulate the expression of various proinflammatory cytokines including TNF, IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-12, and chemokines, most likely through inactivation of the transcription factor NF-kappaB. Interestingly, however, curcumin at low doses can also enhance antibody responses. This suggests that curcumin's reported beneficial effects in arthritis, allergy, asthma, atherosclerosis, heart disease, Alzheimer's disease, diabetes, and cancer might be due in part to its ability to modulate the immune system. Together, these findings warrant further consideration of curcumin as a therapy for immune disorders. |
X Demographics
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 25 | 20% |
India | 12 | 9% |
United Kingdom | 6 | 5% |
Canada | 4 | 3% |
Mexico | 2 | 2% |
Indonesia | 1 | <1% |
Australia | 1 | <1% |
Germany | 1 | <1% |
Romania | 1 | <1% |
Other | 6 | 5% |
Unknown | 69 | 54% |
Demographic breakdown
Type | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Members of the public | 120 | 94% |
Practitioners (doctors, other healthcare professionals) | 5 | 4% |
Science communicators (journalists, bloggers, editors) | 1 | <1% |
Scientists | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 1 | <1% |
Mendeley readers
Geographical breakdown
Country | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
United States | 2 | <1% |
Brazil | 1 | <1% |
Portugal | 1 | <1% |
United Kingdom | 1 | <1% |
India | 1 | <1% |
Unknown | 383 | 98% |
Demographic breakdown
Readers by professional status | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Student > Bachelor | 59 | 15% |
Student > Master | 56 | 14% |
Student > Ph. D. Student | 49 | 13% |
Researcher | 45 | 12% |
Student > Doctoral Student | 24 | 6% |
Other | 74 | 19% |
Unknown | 82 | 21% |
Readers by discipline | Count | As % |
---|---|---|
Agricultural and Biological Sciences | 71 | 18% |
Medicine and Dentistry | 66 | 17% |
Biochemistry, Genetics and Molecular Biology | 39 | 10% |
Pharmacology, Toxicology and Pharmaceutical Science | 28 | 7% |
Chemistry | 23 | 6% |
Other | 64 | 16% |
Unknown | 98 | 25% |