Shahrekord University of Medical Sciences Journal of Herbmed Pharmacology 2345-5004 14 3 2025 07 01 A review on the role of microRNA-340 and curcumin in apoptosis and metastasis in colorectal cancer 277 291 10.34172/jhp.2025.53007 EN Mohammad Kordkatouli https://orcid.org/0009-0006-3008-6820 William C. Cho https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4174-4586 Mehr Ali Mahmood Janlou https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5091-2348 Aryan Sateei https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6810-6790 Mahmoud Heidari https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9103-2491 Chittabrata Mal https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5802-7474 Audrius Dulskas https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3692-8962 Vincas Unbonas https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8070-6163 Journal Article 10.34172/jhp.2025.53007 2025 03 07 2025 06 09 MicroRNAs (miRNAs), which are small non-coding RNA molecules, play a crucial role in regulating gene expression following transcription. They are essential for cellular functions like proliferation, metastasis, apoptosis, and differentiation. miR-340 suppresses tumor development in colorectal cancer (CRC) by targeting key genes involved in apoptosis (e.g., Bcl-2, Bax) and metastasis (e.g., RhoA). The primary cause of the downregulation of miR-340 in CRC is epigenetic alterations, such as promoter hypermethylation, histone modifications, and transcriptional repression by ZEB1 and other proteins that contribute to the tumor’s growth and silence. By preventing DNA methylation and histone deacetylation, curcumin, a bioactive substance found in turmeric, has demonstrated promise in correcting these epigenetic changes and restoring miR-340 expression and its tumor-suppressive effects. Increased apoptosis, decreased cell migration and invasion, or reduction in CRC metastasis have all been linked to curcumin’s regulation of miR-340. Curcumin also works in concert with miR-340 to target oncogenic pathways that are essential to the development of CRC, such as PI3K/AKT, EZH2, and Wnt/β-catenin. With the potential to improve apoptosis, decrease tumor development and metastasis, and improve treatment responses, the combination of curcumin and miR-340 reactivation presents a promising therapeutic approach for CRC. Therefore, the miR-340-curcumin strategy offers a fresh way to enhance the therapeutic management of CRC and perhaps other malignancies that exhibit miR-340 downregulation. This review highlights the therapeutic synergy between miR-340 and curcumin in CRC. It aims to support miRNA-based therapies using natural agents like curcumin.