Therapeutic potential of curcumin and its nanoformulations for treating oral cancer

Core Tip

Core Tip: Oral cancer has a high disease burden worldwide. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is the most predominant subtype of oral cancer. The majority of oral cancers present at an advanced stage and are associated with a poor prognosis. Timely diagnosis and early treatment are critical to achieve a superior outcome. Surgery is the recommended treatment for oral cancer; other treatment modalities are radiotherapy with or without chemotherapy. Curcumin, a plant derivative, is one among the available adjuvant therapies that has been studied for its anticarcinogenic potential in the setting of various cancers. Curcumin has been proven to modulate intracellular signaling pathways that control cancer cell growth, inflammation, invasion, apoptosis, and cell death, with evidence supporting its use in cancer therapy. This review aims to summarize the molecular pathways involved in oral carcinoma pathogenesis, to explore different therapeutic interactions of curcumin, and to highlight the role of novel curcumin formulations in oral cancer treatment.