Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40943481›Full record

ArticleInternational journal of molecular sciences2025

Hormetic Effects of Curcumin in RPE Cells: SIRT1 and Caspase-3 Inactivation with Implications for AMD.

Jacopo Di Gregorio, Darin Zerti, Giulia Carozza, Annamaria Capozzo, Vincenzo Flati, Marco Feligioni, Rita Maccarone

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in International journal of molecular sciences, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Curcumin Between Pleiotropic Potential and Translational Constraints.International journal of molecular sciences · 2026
    Review
  3. Article
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

7 authors.

Jacopo Di GregorioDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
Darin ZertiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0865-8088
Giulia CarozzaDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
Annamaria CapozzoDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.
Vincenzo FlatiDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-1014-297X
Marco FeligioniFondazione European Brain Research Institute (EBRI) Rita Levi-Montalcini, 00161 Rome, Italy.ORCID 0000-0001-7070-9662
Rita MaccaroneDepartment of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences, University of L'Aquila, 67100 L'Aquila, Italy.ORCID 0000-0003-0648-3771

Funding

Intramural funding Department of Biotechnological and Applied Clinical Sciences 07_DG_2025_12intramural funding University of L'Aquila 07_progetto_ricerca_ateneo_zerti
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Retinal Pigment Epithelium (RPE), a component of the blood-retinal barrier, plays a pivotal role in maintaining retinal homeostasis and visual function. Dysfunction of the RPE is an early event that triggers photoreceptor death, in Age-related Macular Degeneration (AMD), a multifactorial disorder primarily caused by an imbalance between endogenous antioxidant defenses and reactive oxygen species production. Our in vitro study investigated the hormetic effects of curcumin in human RPE cells (ARPE-19), focusing on its capability to modulate two enzymes related to the onset of AMD: Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1), a NAD+-dependent deacetylase enzyme involved in cellular metabolism, aging, and stress response, and caspase-3, a crucial enzyme in programmed cell death. Curcumin exhibited classic hormetic doseresponses, with low concentrations (5-10 μM) providing cytoprotection while at high doses (≥20 μM) inducing toxicity. Under moderate oxidative stress, acetylated p53 was significantly reduced, indicating SIRT1 activation; curcumin 10 μM restored basal SIRT1 activity, while 5 µM did not. Both concentrations significantly decreased cleaved caspase-3 levels, demonstrating the anti-apoptotic effects of curcumin. Our results reveal curcumin's hormetic mechanisms of RPE protection and emphasize the critical importance of dose optimization within the hormetic window for AMD therapeutic development.

Indexed as

Caspase 3CurcuminHormesisMacular DegenerationRetinal Pigment EpitheliumSirtuin 1ApoptosisCell LineHumansOxidative StressCASP3 protein, humanCaspase 3CurcuminSIRT1 protein, humanSirtuin 1acetyl-p53AMDcaspase-3curcuminoxidative stressRPESIRT1

Identifiers

PMID40943481
PMCPMC12429762

What Socratic holds

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LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.