Curcumin, the compound that gives the spice turmeric its yellow color, teams up with a naturally occurring immune system protein to kill prostate cancer cells, according to a new laboratory study.
When scientists exposed prostate tumor cells in test tubes to either curcumin or the immune protein—called tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)—the compound had little effect, says study coauthor Subhash C.
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