A Network Pharmacology Approach to Uncover the Multiple Mechanisms of Hedyotis diffusa Willd. on Colorectal Cancer

Abstract

Background As one of the most frequently diagnosed cancer diseases globally, colorectal cancer (CRC) remains an important cause of cancer-related death. Although the traditional Chinese herb Hedyotis diffusa Willd. (HDW) has been proven to be effective for treating CRC in clinical practice, its definite mechanisms have not been completely deciphered. Objective The aim of our research is to systematically explore the multiple mechanisms of HDW on CRC. Methods This study adopted the network pharmacology approach, which was mainly composed of active component gathering, target prediction, CRC gene collection, network analysis, and gene enrichment analysis. Results The network analysis showed that 10 targets might be the therapeutic targets of HDW on CRC, namely, HRAS, PIK3CA, KRAS, TP53, APC, BRAF, GSK3B, CDK2, AKT1, and RAF1. The gene enrichment analysis implied that HDW probably benefits patients with CRC by modulating pathways related to cancers, infectious diseases, endocrine system, immune system, nervous system, signal transduction, cellular community, and cell motility. Conclusions This study partially verified and predicted the pharmacological and molecular mechanism of HDW against CRC from a holistic perspective, which will also lay a foundation for the further experimental research and clinical rational application of HDW.

A network pharmacology study on the triterpene saponins fromMedicago sativaL. for the treatment of Neurodegenerative diseases

“…The target protein was the bridge connecting the compound and protein pathway, and which was further used to establish the DPN. The “degree” represents the number of edges to node, and “betweenness” is defined as the number of shortest paths between pairs of nodes that run through nodes, which were calculated by the analysis function of Cytoscape v3.2.1 to evaluate its topological features (Liu et al, ).…”

Investigating the multi-target pharmacological mechanism of danhong injection acting on unstable angina by combined network pharmacology and molecular docking

“…The "edges" stand for the interaction, association, or any other well-defined relationship [37]. Moreover, the "betweenness" indicates the amount of shortest paths that go through a given node [38,39]. Besides, the "closeness" emblematizes the inverse of the sum of the distances from one node to the other [40,41].…”

“…Moreover, the "betweenness" indicates the amount of shortest paths that go through a given node [38,39]. Besides, the "closeness" emblematizes the inverse of the sum of the distances from one node to the other [40,41]. The higher the quantitative value of a node's network parameters, such as degree, betweenness, and closeness, the more important the node is.…”

Computational methods and applications for quantitative systems pharmacology

“…Drug-likeness evaluation, oral bioavailability prediction, multiple drug targets prediction and network pharmacology techniques [142] Hedyotis diffusa Willd. Active component gathering, target prediction, related gene collection, gene enrichment analysis and network analysis [143] Licorice Oral bioavailability screening, drug-likeness evaluation, blood-brain barrier permeation, target identification and network analysis [111] Semen strychni and Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F.…”