The cell type behavior of the material depends on the cellular pathway machinery. this interaction will make the phenotypic results with the compound like curcumin. normal cell and cancer cells doesnt have same type of cellular mechinary. so the interaction and activity will definitely change.
i will add one common example like one compound give G2/M arrest in cancer cell line but show G0/G1 arrest in another cell line.which giving the idea that compound interaction with cellular proteins/and cellular entry makes them to act cell type behaviour.