Network pharmacology and bioinformatics were used to construct a prognostic model and immunoassay of core target genes in the combination of quercetin and kaempferol in the treatment of colorectal cancer

Abstract

Purpose: CRC is a malignant tumor seriously threatening human health. Quercetin and kaempferol are representative components of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). Previous studies have shown that both quercetin and kaempferol have antitumor pharmacological effects, nevertheless, the underlying mechanism of action remains unclear. To explore the synergy and mechanism of quercetin and kaempferol in colorectal cancer. Methods: In this study, network pharmacology, and bioinformatics are used to obtain the intersection of drug targets and disease genes. Training gene sets were acquired from the TCGA database, acquired prognostic-related genes by univariate Cox, multivariate Cox, and Lasso-Cox regression models, and validated in the GEO dataset. We also made predictions of the immune function of the samples and used molecular docking to map a model for binding two components to prognostic genes. Results: Through Lasso-Cox regression analysis, we obtained three models of drug target genes. This model predicts the combined role of quercetin and kaempferol in the treatment and prognosis of CRC. Prognostic genes are correlated with immune checkpoints and immune infiltration and play an adjuvant role in the immunotherapy of CRC. Conclusion: Core genes are regulated by quercetin and kaempferol to improve the patient's immune system and thus assist in the treatment of CRC.

Network pharmacology and bioinformatics to identify the molecular mechanisms of Gleditsiae Spina against colorectal cancer

“…Although kaempferol is a representative element of traditional Chinese medicine and has pharmacological properties against tumor, it is unclear how kaempferol affects the onset of CRC. According to a recent study, kaempferol enhances patients' immune systems by modulating key genes, helping with the therapy of CRC ( Gu et al, 2023a ). Besides, kaempferol has the ability to reverse the drug resistance of colorectal cancer cells to 5-Fluorouracil (5-Fu), suggesting that kaempferol, either alone or in combination with 5-Fu, holds promise for the treatment of colorectal cancer.…”