Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39995416›Full record

ArticleFrontiers in pharmacology2025

Exploring the multi-targeted mechanism of Saikosaponin A in prostate cancer treatment: a network pharmacology and molecular docking approach.

Genbao Zhu, Zhiming Jiang, Niuping Zhu, Donghui Wang, Tianpeng Guo, Yiqing Meng, Yi Zhu, Kemeng Tan, Mengxue Hu, Heng Tang and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Frontiers in pharmacology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

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

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Exploring the Therapeutic Potential ofPharmaceuticals (Basel, Switzerland) · 2025
    Review
  3. Review
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

11 authors.

Genbao Zhu *International Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Zhiming Jiang *General Clinical Research Center, Wanbei Coal-Electricity Group General Hospital, Suzhou, China.
Niuping ZhuInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Donghui WangInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Tianpeng GuoInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Yiqing MengInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Yi ZhuInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.
Kemeng TanGeneral Clinical Research Center, Wanbei Coal-Electricity Group General Hospital, Suzhou, China.
Mengxue HuGeneral Clinical Research Center, Wanbei Coal-Electricity Group General Hospital, Suzhou, China.
Heng TangGeneral Clinical Research Center, Wanbei Coal-Electricity Group General Hospital, Suzhou, China.
Xuannian WangInternational Joint Research Center of National Animal Immunology, College of Veterinary Medicine, Henan Agricultural University, Zhengzhou, China.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Prostate cancer (PCa) is one of the prevalent malignant tumors among men. It can progress to castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC), which is significantly more challenging to treat. Saikosaponin A (SSA), a triterpenoid saponin extracted from the genus Bupleurum, exerts numerous pharmacological effects, including anti-inflammatory and anti-tumorigenic effects. However, the mechanism underlying the effects of SSA in prostate cancer treatment remains elusive. Methods: In this study, a network pharmacology approach was applied to identify relevant targets from drug- and disease-related databases, and intersections were analyzed using Venny2.1 to construct a Protein-Protein interaction (PPI) interaction network. Next, Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) enrichment analyses were performed to elucidate associated biological functions and signaling pathways. Meanwhile, molecular docking between core targets and SSA was performed using Autodock software. Lastly, Results: A least of four key targets, namely BCL2 apoptosis regulator (BCL2), estrogen receptor 1 (ESR1), hypoxia-inducible factor 1 subunit alpha (HIF1A), and signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) were identified in this study, and molecular docking analyses revealed that SSA stably binds to these targets. Moreover, the results of Conclusion: The present study revealed that SSA exerts anti-tumorigenic effects in prostate cancer by targeting multiple pathways, laying a theoretical reference for its use as a therapeutic candidate for prostate cancer.

Indexed as

apoptosismolecular dockingnetwork pharmacologyprostate cancerSaikosaponin A

Identifiers

PMID39995416
PMCPMC11847854

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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.