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Efficacy of Curcumin in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Pharmacokinetic Barriers to Advanced Delivery Systems
Castello-Guillen A, Garrido-Reig M, Caplliure-Llopis J, Vega-Bello MJ, Almela C, de la Rubia Ortí JE.. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland), 2026-08-14
Topic: Disease mechanisms in lab and animal studies
Curcumin exhibits neuroprotective activity in preclinical models of the four NDs analysed, acting on six interconnected mechanisms and the gut-brain axis. Four generations of DDS have been developed, from phytosomes and clinically used lipid dispersions (Meriva®, BCM-95®, Longvida®, Theracurmin®) to fourth-generation systems (biomimetic nanoparticles, MOFs, microneedles, 3D scaffolds, hydrogels, carbon dots) that substantially increase bioavailability in preclinical studies. Combination strategies, such as curcumin with resveratrol and dutasteride, show preliminary clinical signals in ALS. However, clinical translation remains limited: over 80% of positive animal findings have not been replicated in humans, formulation characterization is frequently incomplete, and most trials lack CNS-exposure biomarkers. DDS are essential to unlock curcumin’s therapeutic potential in neurology, but its clinical translation requires phase II/III trials with well-characterized formulations, cerebrospinal fluid exposure biomarkers, and adaptive designs.
Cite this study APA, Vancouver, BibTeX · download .bib or .ris
APA 7th
Castello-Guillen, A., Garrido-Reig, M., Caplliure-Llopis, J., Vega-Bello, M. J., Almela, C., & de la Rubia Ortí, J. E. (2026). Efficacy of Curcumin in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Pharmacokinetic Barriers to Advanced Delivery Systems. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202608.1026.v1
Vancouver
Castello-Guillen A, Garrido-Reig M, Caplliure-Llopis J, Vega-Bello MJ, Almela C, de la Rubia Ortí JE. Efficacy of Curcumin in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Pharmacokinetic Barriers to Advanced Delivery Systems. Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland). 2026. doi:10.20944/preprints202608.1026.v1.
BibTeX
@article{castelloguillen2026-8eff1361,
author = {Castello-Guillen, A. and Garrido-Reig, M. and Caplliure-Llopis, J. and Vega-Bello, M. J. and Almela, C. and de la Rubia Ortí, J. E.},
title = {{Efficacy of Curcumin in Neurodegenerative Diseases: From Pharmacokinetic Barriers to Advanced Delivery Systems}},
journal = {Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)},
year = {2026},
doi = {10.20944/preprints202608.1026.v1},
url = {https://doi.org/10.20944/preprints202608.1026.v1}
}
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Key findings
- Curcumin exhibits neuroprotective activity in preclinical models of the four NDs analysed, acting on six interconnected mechanisms and the gut-brain axis.
- Four generations of DDS have been developed, from phytosomes and clinically used lipid dispersions (Meriva®, BCM-95®, Longvida®, Theracurmin®) to fourth-generation systems (biomimetic nanoparticles, MOFs, microneedles, 3D scaffolds, hydrogels, carbon dots) that substantially increase bioavailability in preclinical studies.
- Combination strategies, such as curcumin with resveratrol and dutasteride, show preliminary clinical signals in ALS.
- However, clinical translation remains limited: over 80% of positive animal findings have not been replicated in humans, formulation characterization is frequently incomplete, and most trials lack CNS-exposure biomarkers.
- DDS are essential to unlock curcumin’s therapeutic potential in neurology, but its clinical translation requires phase II/III trials with well-characterized formulations, cerebrospinal fluid exposure biomarkers, and adaptive designs.
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Study details
- Study designsystematic review
- Effect size0.1%
- Evidence strengthHigh
How this study scored 72/100
Published in a peer-reviewed journal, and it is a systematic review of all the studies on the question. Scored zero for sample size and studied in people because the record does not state it. We have no data on journal's citation record, times cited, citations per year, impact for its field and year, cited by studies here, still being cited, senior author's track record, institution's track record and multicenter collaboration, so those were left out: it earned 42 of the 58 points we could judge it on, which is 72 out of 100.
| Component | Points | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Journal tier | 7 / 10 | Tier 3 — peer-reviewed journal (Pharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland)) |
| Journal's citation record | — / 4 | No journal record from OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Study design | 12 / 12 | A systematic review of all the studies on the question |
| Strength of evidence | 5 / 5 | Rated “high” in our summary |
| Peer-review validation | 10 / 10 | Peer-reviewed. Published as an article in a named peer-reviewed journal. |
| How recent | 5 / 5 | 2026 — within 1 year(s) of the newest study here |
| Sample size | 0 / 4 | Participant count not stated — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Effect reported | 2 / 3 | Effect reported as a number, without an interval or test |
| Studied in people | 0 / 3 | Not stated whether this was studied in people — scores zero (not stated in the record — scored 0) |
| Randomized / blinded | 0 / 2 | A review of other studies — randomization is not credited here |
| Times cited | — / 7 | No citation count (not found in OpenAlex) — left out of this score |
| Citations per year | — / 5 | No citation count or no year — left out of this score |
| Impact for its field and year | — / 6 | No field-weighted citation impact (OpenAlex has none yet) — left out of this score |
| Cited by studies here | — / 6 | Not yet checked against this library's citation graph — left out of this score |
| Still being cited | — / 4 | No yearly citation counts — left out of this score |
| Senior author's track record | — / 4 | Senior author's record not available — left out of this score |
| Institution's track record | — / 3 | No institution listed in OpenAlex — left out of this score |
| Multicenter collaboration | — / 3 | Institutions not listed — left out of this score |
| Indexed in PubMed | 1 / 2 | Not in PubMed, but has a DOI |
| Free to read | 0 / 2 | Behind a paywall — scores zero |
| Points | 42 / 58 | Scored on 11 of 20 parts. We have no data for the rest, so they are left out: 42 of the 58 points we could judge it on is 72 out of 100. |
| Total | 72 / 100 | — |
What each of these 20 components measures, and what this score is not →
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