Osteosarcoma is a dominating malignant bone
tumor with high mortality due to pulmonary
metastases. Furthermore, because of the
cancer cell erosion and surgery resection,
osteosarcoma always causes bone defects, which means dysfunction and disfigurement are seldom inevitable. Although various advanced treatments (e.g.
chemotherapy,
immunotherapy,
radiotherapy) are coming up, the 5-year survival rate for
osteosarcoma with
metastases is still dismal. In line with this, the more potent treatments for
osteosarcoma are in high demand.
Curcumin, a perennial herb, has been reportedly applied in the
therapy of various types of
tumors via different mechanisms. In vitro, it has also been reported that
curcumin can inhibit the proliferation of
osteosarcoma cell lines and can be used to repair bone defects. This seems
curcumin is a promising candidate in
osteosarcoma treatment. However, due to its congenital property like hydrophobicity, and low bioavailability, affecting its anticancer effect, clinical applications of
curcumin are highly limited. To enhance its performance in
cancer therapies, some synergist approaches with
curcumin have emerged. The present review presents some prospective ones (i.e. combinations with
immunotherapy, chemotherapeutics, bone tissue engineering, and
biomaterials) applied in
osteosarcoma treatment. Additionally, with the advancements of
photodynamic therapy in
cancer therapy, this review also prospects the combination of
curcumin with
photodynamic therapy in
osteosarcoma treatment.