Curcumin Enhances the Efficacy of Docetaxel by Promoting Anti-Tumor Immune Response in Head and Neck Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Abstract

This study evaluated the feasibility of curcumin and docetaxel (DTX) combination therapy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Animal assay demonstrated DTX has certain limitations in improving immunosuppressive microenvironment. Treatment with curcumin overcame this inhibition and reduced tumor progression. Curcumin synergized DTX showed significantly greater reduction in tumor burden than either treatment alone via down-regulation of MDSCs, M2 macrophages and up-regulation of CD8⁺ T cells, NK cells, M1 macrophages. Meanwhile, the secretion of CXCL1 was decreased in tumor. Conversely, the secretion of interferon-γ and tumor necrosis factor-α were increased. Our study provided a promising therapeutic strategy for HNSCC.

Keywords:

• Immune microenvironment
• chemotherapy
• myeloid-derived suppressor cells
• CD8

Acknowledgements

The authors thank Stomatological Hospital Lab of Wuhan University for technical support.

Declaration of interest

The authors report no conflicts of interest. The authors alone are responsible for the content and writing of the article.

Additional information

Funding

The author(s) reported there is no funding associated with the work featured in this article.