Page 21 - GPD-3-3

Gene & Protein in Disease

REVIEW ARTICLE
Modulation of immune responses in the liver:

The role of curcumin in balancing between
health and disease

2†
3
Prashant Anilkumar Singh , Sitabja Mukherjee , Puneet Gandhi , and
1†
2
Santosh Kar *
1 Department of Allied Sciences, School of Health Sciences and Technology, University of Petroleum
and Energy Studies, Dehradun, Uttarakhand, India
2 Polyfeenolix Research Laboratory (OPC) Private Limited, KIIT Technology Business Incubator,
Bhubaneswar, Odisha, India
3 Bhopal Memorial Hospital and Research Centre, Bhopal, Madhya Pradesh, India

Abstract

The human liver, traditionally viewed as a metabolic and detoxifying organ, is
now being acknowledged for its complex immunological activities involving
diverse resident immune cell populations and non-hematopoietic cells. Even in
the absence of disease, the liver actively engages in immune surveillance and
regulatory processes to support metabolic functions and tissue remodeling,
influenced by continuous exposure to dietary and microbial elements. However,
maintaining a delicate balance within this dynamic microenvironment is crucial,
† These authors contributed equally
to this work. as uncontrolled inflammation can result in pathological conditions. Effective
immune activation is essential for responding to challenges such as pathogens
*Corresponding author: or tissue damage, while mechanisms for resolving inflammation are necessary
Santosh Kar
(santoshkariis@rediffmail.com) to maintain liver homeostasis. This review examines the diverse roles of hepatic
inflammatory mechanisms in both normal and pathological liver conditions, where
Citation: Singh PA, Mukherjee S,
Gandhi P, Kar S. Modulation of dysregulation contributes to chronic inflammation and diseases. A key focus of this
immune responses in the liver: discussion is the potential therapeutic role of curcumin, the primary curcuminoid
The role of curcumin in balancing found in turmeric. Curcumin is well known for its potent antioxidant and anti-
between health and disease. Gene
Protein Dis. 2024;3(3):3186. inflammatory properties and has shown the ability to modulate various signaling
doi: 10.36922/gpd.3186 pathways. Notably, curcumin acts by suppressing nuclear factor kappa B (NF-κB),
Received: March 16, 2024 a crucial player in the inflammatory cascade. NF-κB not only triggers inflammation
Accepted: July 24, 2024 but also influences cell survival, proliferation, invasion, and angiogenesis. Drawing
Published Online: September 6, from existing literature, we emphasize curcumin’s ability to scavenge free radicals,
2024 reduce lipid peroxidation, and target NF-κB-dependent pathways. By elucidating
Copyright: © 2024 Author(s). the evolving comprehension of inflammation’s role in maintaining liver balance,
This is an Open-Access article we suggest that curcumin represents a promising approach for treating chronic
distributed under the terms of the
Creative Commons Attribution liver inflammation, thereby preventing fibrosis and related ailments. This thorough
License, permitting distribution, analysis highlights the potential of curcumin in modulating immune regulatory
and reproduction in any medium, pathways specific to the liver, providing valuable insights into its use as a targeted
provided the original work is
properly cited. therapeutic intervention against chronic liver inflammation that results in fibrosis.
Publisher’s Note: AccScience
Publishing remains neutral with Keywords: Inflammation; Homeostasis; Curcumin immunomodulation; Control of
regard to jurisdictional claims in
published maps and institutional fibrosis
affiliations.

Volume 3 Issue 3 (2024) 1 doi: 10.36922/gpd.3186