Global Gene Expression Profiling Reveals Curcumin-Induced Molecular Mechanisms in U87 MG Glioblastoma Cells

Curcumin, a major phytochemical derived from Curcuma longa, has been shown to enhance the efficacy of chemotherapeutic agents such as doxorubicin, 5-fluorouracil, and cisplatin by overcoming drug resistance, making it a promising adjunct in the treatment of glioblastoma. However, the global gene expression changes triggered by curcumin in glioblastoma remain underexplored. In this study, we investigated the effects of curcumin on human glioblastoma (U87 MG) cells, where it significantly reduced cell viability and proliferation in a dose- and time-dependent manner and induced apoptosis without affecting senescence. Transcriptomic analysis revealed 5,036 differentially expressed genes, with pathway enrichment identifying 13 dysregulated cancer-associated pathways. Notably, curcumin modulated several key regulators involved in MAPK, Ras, TGF-β, Wnt, Cytokine, and TNF signalling pathways. Several apoptosis and cell cycle-associated genes, including PRKCG, GDF7, GDF9, GDF15, GDF5, FZD1, FZD2, FZD8, AIFM3, TP53AIP1, CRD14, NIBAN3, BOK, BCL2L10, BCL2L14, BNIPL, FASLG, GZMM, TNFSF10, TNFSF11, and TNFSF4, were significantly altered. Importantly, RUNX3, a key tumour suppressor, was markedly upregulated following curcumin treatment, emphasizing its potential role in curcumin-mediated anti-tumour effects. This study provides insight into the molecular mechanisms underlying curcumin's action against glioblastoma.