Anti-cancer effects of curcumin on lung cancer through the inhibition of EZH2 and NOTCH1

// Guo-Qing Wu 1, * , Ke-Qun Chai 2, * , Xiu-Ming Zhu 1, * , Hua Jiang 1 , Xiao Wang 1 , Qian Xue 1 , Ai-Hong Zheng 1 , Hong-Ying Zhou 1 , Yun Chen 1 , Xiao-Chen Chen 1 , Jian-Yong Xiao 3 , Xu-Hua Ying 2 , Fu-Wei Wang 1 , Tao Rui 1 , Yi-Ji Liao 4 , Dan Xie 4 , Li-Qin Lu 1 , Dong-Sheng Huang 1 1 Department of Oncology and Cancer Biotherapy Center, Zhejiang Provincial People’s Hospital, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310014, China 2 Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tongde Hospital of Zhejiang Province, Hangzhou, Zhejiang 310012, China 3 Department of Biochemistry, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, China 4 State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Cancer Center, Sun Yat-Sen University, Guangzhou 510060, Guangdong, China * These authors contributed equally to this work Correspondence to: Guo-Qing Wu, e-mail: gqwuzsu@hotmail.com Dong-Sheng Huang, e-mail: dshuang@zju.edu.cn Keywords: curcumin, enhancer of zeste homolog 2, NOTCH1, lung cancer, microRNA Received: April 22, 2015      Accepted: March 08, 2016      Published: April 01, 2016 ABSTRACT Curcumin is potentially therapeutic for malignant diseases. The mechanisms of this effect might involve a combination of antioxidant, immunomodulatory, proapoptotic, and antiangiogenic activities. However, the exact mechanisms are not fully understood. In the present study, we provided evidences that curcumin suppressed the expression of enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2) in lung cancer cells both transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally. Curcumin inhibited the expression of EZH2 through microRNA (miR)-let 7c and miR-101. Curcumin decreased the expression of NOTCH1 through the inhibition of EZH2. There was a reciprocal regulation between EZH2 and NOTCH1 in lung cancer cells. These observations suggest that curcumin inhibits lung cancer growth and metastasis at least partly through the inhibition of EZH2 and NOTCH1.