The Therapeutic Effect of Curcumin in Nanogels Compared to 0.1% FAO in the Management of Oral Lichen Planus

March 4, 2026 updated by: Chulalongkorn University

The Therapeutic Effect of Curcumin in Nanogels Compared to 0.1% Fluocinolone Acetonide Oral Paste in the Management of Atrophic-Erosive Oral Lichen Planus

This randomized, double-blind clinical trial evaluates the therapeutic effects of curcumin in nanogels compared to 0.1% fluocinolone acetonide oral paste in the management of atrophic-erosive oral lichen planus (OLP). The study aims to determine whether curcumin nanogels, a natural treatment with enhanced bioavailability, are as effective and better tolerated than standard corticosteroid therapy.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.

Detailed Description

Oral lichen planus (OLP) is a chronic, immune-mediated inflammatory condition that causes painful mucosal lesions and significantly impairs patients' quality of life. Although topical corticosteroids are the standard treatment, their long-term use is associated with adverse effects. Curcumin, a natural compound with anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, has shown promise as an alternative treatment. However, its clinical application is limited by poor bioavailability.

This randomized, double-blind, controlled clinical trial aims to compare the therapeutic effects of curcumin in nanogels and 0.1% fluocinolone acetonide oral paste in patients with atrophic-erosive OLP. Thirty eligible participants will be randomly assigned to either the curcumin nanogel or fluocinolone group, and treatment outcomes will be evaluated using the Oral Lichen Planus Disease Activity Scale (OLP-DAS) and a patient satisfaction questionnaire over a 4-week period.

The study is conducted at the Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University, and seeks to evaluate whether curcumin nanogels offer comparable therapeutic efficacy to corticosteroids, with potentially fewer side effects.

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Interventional

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Phase

Phase

The stage of a clinical trial studying a drug or biological product, based on definitions developed by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The phase is based on the study's objective, the number of participants, and other characteristics. There are five phases: Early Phase 1 (formerly listed as Phase 0), Phase 1, Phase 2, Phase 3, and Phase 4. Not Applicable is used to describe trials without FDA-defined phases, including trials of devices or behavioral interventions.
  • Not Applicable

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Pirawish Limlawan, D.D.S., Ph.D.
  • Phone Number: 084-090-3309
  • Email: pirawish@gmail.com

Study Locations

  • Thailand
      • Bangkok, Thailand, 10400
        • Recruiting
        • Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University
        • Contact:

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

No

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Age 18 years or older
  • Ability to provide written informed consent
  • Clinically and histopathologically confirmed diagnosis of erosive or atrophic oral lichen planus (OLP)
  • Presence of symptoms (NRS pain score > 0 at baseline)
  • Ability to communicate and follow instructions
  • Willingness to apply oral paste treatment and comply with study protocol

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Pregnancy or lactation
  • Current orthodontic treatment
  • Uncontrolled diabetes mellitus (HbA1c > 7% or FPG > 130 mg/dL)
  • Use of anticoagulants or antiplatelet agents
  • Severe dry mouth (Challacombe score > 7)
  • History of gastric ulcers, duodenal ulcers, or gallstones
  • Presence of any active malignancy or infection
  • Use of topical/systemic treatment for OLP in the past 2 weeks
  • Current use of immunosuppressants
  • Known allergy to corticosteroids or herbal agents such as turmeric
  • Diagnosis of oral lichenoid contact lesion or graft-versus-host disease (GVHD)
  • History of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation
  • Current smokers

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

  • Primary Purpose: Treatment
  • Allocation: Randomized
  • Interventional Model: Parallel Assignment
  • Masking: Double

Arms and Interventions

Participant Group / Arm

Participant Group / Arm

A group or subgroup of participants in a clinical trial that receives a specific intervention/treatment, or no intervention, according to the trial's protocol.
Intervention / Treatment

Intervention / Treatment

A process or action that is the focus of a clinical study. Interventions include drugs, medical devices, procedures, vaccines, and other products that are either investigational or already available. Interventions can also include noninvasive approaches, such as education or modifying diet and exercise.
Experimental: Curcumin Group
Curcumin nanogels applied 3 times daily for 4 weeks
Drug: Curcumin in Nanogels
Participants will apply curcumin nanogels to affected oral areas three times daily for 4 weeks.
Active Comparator: Fluocinolone Paste Group
0.1% Fluocinolone acetonide oral paste applied 3 times daily for 4 weeks
Drug: 0.1% Fluocinolone Acetonide Oral Paste
Participants will apply 0.1% fluocinolone acetonide oral paste to the affected oral mucosa three times daily for 4 weeks. This corticosteroid paste is the standard treatment for oral lichen planus.

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Change in OLP-DAS Score
Time Frame: Baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks

Evaluation of change in Oral Lichen Planus-Disease Activity Scale (OLP-DAS) score, which includes lesion severity, lesion extent, and pain score, from baseline to follow-up

The Oral Lichen Planus-Disease Activity Scale (OLP-DAS) includes 3 components:

  • OLP Sign Score (0-65)
  • OLP Severity Index (0-20)
  • Numerical Rating Scale for pain (0-10)

The total OLP-DAS score ranges from 0 to 95. Higher scores indicate worse disease activity.
Baseline, 2 weeks, and 4 weeks

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Product Satisfaction Questionnaire
Time Frame: At 4 weeks after treatment start

Product satisfaction will be evaluated using a modified 6-item Product Satisfaction Questionnaire. Items include:

  • Taste of the oral paste
  • Oral sensation
  • Irritation
  • Convenience of use
  • Willingness to continue using the product
  • Overall satisfaction

Each item is scored from 0 (not satisfied at all) to 10 (completely satisfied). The total score ranges from 0 to 60. Higher scores indicate better satisfaction.

Minimum Value: 0 Maximum Value: 60 Units of Measure: Points Meaning of Higher Scores: Better outcome (higher satisfaction)
At 4 weeks after treatment start

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Chulalongkorn University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Pirawish Limlawan, D.D.S., Ph.D., Faculty of Dentistry, Chulalongkorn University

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Actual)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
June 1, 2025

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
June 30, 2026

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
June 30, 2026

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
April 10, 2025

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
April 10, 2025

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
April 17, 2025

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
March 6, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
March 4, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
March 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • HREC-DCU 2025-007

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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