Biological actions of curcumin on articular chondrocytes

Henrotin Y, Clutterbuck AL, Allaway D, Lodwig EM, Harris P, Mathy-Hartert M, Shakibaei M, Mobasheri A · Osteoarthritis and Cartilage

Summarises the chondrocyte case: curcumin blocks IL-1beta-driven MMP-3 upregulation, collagen II suppression and beta1-integrin downregulation, and prevents proteoglycan degradation, AP-1/NF-kappaB signalling and chondrocyte apoptosis. The authors' own caveat is that solubility, absorption and bioavailability must be solved before extensive clinical trials are justified.

Population

Published in-vitro and in-vivo studies of curcumin in chondrocytes, osteoblasts and synovial fibroblasts

Intervention

Curcumin

Limitations

A narrative review assembled with a text-mining tool rather than a systematic search; the senior author later ran a manufacturer-co-funded curcumin trial (pmid-31351488).