IDEA #83TGSZ A Novel Immunothereapeutic Compound Against Cancer and Neurodegenerative Diseases. 18A0006

Curcumin, which is the main active ingredient in turmeric, displays promising activity against various types of cancer including the deadly glioblastoma (GBM) both in cells culture and also in experimental mouse models. Furthermore, curcumin efficiently disintegrates Alzheimer’s plaques and tangle. However, low solubility of curcumin in water and its high degradation rate in the body fluids have rendered it poorly bioavailable and hindered its successful use as a therapeutic agent. Therefore, it is highly important to design an appropriate delivery strategy to increase curcumin’s bioavailability. To achieve this, we have designed a strategy, which involves the synthesis of a novel hybrid between curcumin and a derivative of the FDA-approved drug cis-platin. This novel compound, named as Curisplatin, has dramatically higher bioavailability, crosses the plasma membrane and the blood-brain barrier, and releases free curcumin inside the cancer cells to kill them. It releases a relatively hydrolysis-resistant form of diacyl-platin, which makes it minimally active against dividing cells, thereby making it different from cis-platin, which kills both cancer cells and normal cells such as the immune cells.