The drug substance being studied is curcumin. Curcumin (diferuloylmethane) is a major constituent in the spice turmeric, which is used as a food worldwide.~The pharmacologic rationale for studying curcumin for the treatment of cystic fibrosis is the potential for curcumin to help correct a deficiency of the cystic fibrosis transmembrane regulator (CFTR) protein. Cystic fibrosis results from a mutation of the CFTR gene, which produces abnormal CFTR protein that does properly transport chloride ion and water in the lung leading to abnormal mucus production. Curcumin is a potent inhibitor of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) Ca2+ pump, and lowers ER calcium concentration. This may allow abnormal CFTR protein to function properly as a chloride channel and correct the cystic fibrosis defect. If this is successful, this effect could be measured as a decrease in the nasal potential difference (NPD) and sweat chloride in cystic fibrosis patients.~The primary objective of this study is to assess the safety of advancing doses of curcuminoids administered orally for fourteen consecutive days in adult subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are homozygous for ΔF508 CFTR. The secondary objectives are to obtain pharmacokinetic data for oral curcumoniods in CF subjects and to assess the effectiveness of curcuminoids to alter nasal potential difference (NPD) and seat chloride concentrations.
The purpose of this study is to assess the safety of advancing doses of curcuminoids administered orally for fourteen consecutive days in adult subjects with cystic fibrosis (CF) who are homozygous for ΔF508 CFTR.