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Because a role for nuclear factor‐κB (NF‐κB) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of pancreatic carcinoma, this transcription factor is a potential target for the treatment of this devastating disease. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a phytochemical with potent NF‐κB‐inhibitory activity. It is pharmacologically safe, but its bioavailability is poor after oral administration.

The authors encapsulated curcumin in a liposomal delivery system that would allow intravenous administration. They studied the in vitro and in vivo effects of this compound on proliferation, apoptosis, signaling, and angiogenesis using human pancreatic carcinoma cells. NF‐κB was constitutively active in all human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines evaluated and liposomal curcumin consistently suppressed NF‐κB binding (electrophoretic mobility gel shift assay) and decreased the expression of NF‐κB‐regulated gene …