Nanoliposomal curcumin as a potential pro-apoptotic agent for cervical cancer: Evidence from Bcl-2 and Bax modulation in HeLa cells.

Cervical cancer remains a major cause of cancer-related mortality, and treatment effectiveness is often limited by drug resistance and systemic toxicity. Curcumin has shown anticancer activity, but its clinical translation is constrained by poor solubility and low bioavailability. Nanoliposomal curcumin (Cur-NLPs) may improve intracellular delivery; however, its dose-dependent effect on apoptosis-related proteins in cervical cancer cells remains insufficiently defined. This study evaluated the dose-dependent modulation of Bcl-2 and Bax protein expression by Cur-NLPs in HeLa cells. HeLa cells were assigned to five groups: negative control, cisplatin 5 µg/mL as positive control, and Cur-NLPs at 100, 150, and 200 µg/mL. After 24 hours of treatment, Bcl-2 and Bax expression were assessed by immunofluorescence and quantified as corrected total cell fluorescence (CTCF). Data were analyzed using one-way ANOVA, Tukey HSD post hoc test, Pearson correlation, and linear regression. Significant between-group differences were observed for both Bcl-2 (F=8.99;