BCL2 and cancer: Curcumin up-regulates the pro-apoptotic proteins (Bax, Bim, Bak, Puma and Noxa) and down-regulates the anti-apoptotic ones (Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL) in different cancer cells, triggering the release of Cytochrome C and the activation of caspase 3 [24].