Evidence map›Paper›PMID 38275061›Full record

ArticleCombinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening2025

Network Pharmacology Study on the Underlying Mechanism of Danggui-Kushen Herb Pair in Adjuvant Chemotherapeutics against Breast Cancer.

Yijuan Hu, Jiaolong He, Yunling Xu

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Article in Combinatorial chemistry & high throughput screening, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 19% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed, 2 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors at 2 institutions in 1 country.

Yijuan HuKey Laboratory of Research and Development of Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310007, China.
Jiaolong HeDepartment of Intensive Care, First Affiliated Hospital of Jishou University, Jishou, 416000, China.
Yunling XuKey Laboratory of Research and Development of Chinese Medicine of Zhejiang Province, Zhejiang Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Hangzhou, 310007, China.
Zhejiang Academy of Forestry · CNJishou University · CN

Funding

Basic Public Welfare Research Program of Zhejiang Province LGF21H280003Natural Science Foundation of Zhejiang Province LQ22H280020
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundThe Danggui-Kushen herb pair (DKHP) is a classic prescription that has long been used in combination with chemotherapeutic drugs to improve the immune status of patients with breast cancer (BC), however, the active components and the underlying pharmacological mechanisms remain unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to elucidate the possible mechanism of action of DKHP against BC-based comprehensive strategy combining network pharmacology, molecular docking, and cellular experiments.

methodsThe Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform was used to obtain the relevant compounds in DKHP. Genecards and the National Center for Biotechnology Information databases were used to predict BC targets. Then, drug-compound- target, and protein-protein interaction networks were constructed to forecast the promising protein targets of DKHP and identify the primary interactions that occur between the protein targets and compounds. Finally, the predicted candidate targets were validated using docking techniques and in vitro experiments.

resultsA total of 30 potential active compounds and 173 intersecting pharmacological targets were identified in DKHP. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis revealed that the inflammatory response, positive regulation of protein phosphorylation, and cellular response to lipopolysaccharide were closely related to DKHP treatment in BC. Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis suggested that the PI3K/AKT pathway may be crucial for DKHP intervention in BC. Therefore, key targets could be AKT1, TP53, VEGR, CASP3, TNF, and IL6. Molecular docking analysis suggested that hyperforin, kushenin, and kushenol T had good binding ability to Akt, p53, and Caspase 3. The in vitro experiment showed that the DKHP extract promoted the apoptosis of MCF-7 cells via the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway. These results corresponded to the predictions produced using the network pharmacology approach.

conclusionHyperforin, kushenin, kushenol T, and other active compounds in DKHP can regulate multiple signaling pathways and targets, such as AKT1, TP53, and CASP3, thereby playing preventive and therapeutic roles in BC.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicBreast NeoplasmsDrugs, Chinese HerbalNetwork PharmacologyApoptosisCell ProliferationDrug Screening Assays, AntitumorFemaleHumansMolecular Docking SimulationProtein Interaction MapsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktAntineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicDrugs, Chinese HerbalkushenProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktbreast cancerdanggui–kushen herb pairmolecular dockingmolecular mechanism.Network pharmacologytraditional chinese medicine

Identifiers

PMID38275061
OpenAlexW4391231545

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.