Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40452077›Full record

ArticleEuropean journal of medical research2025

The mechanisms of Brucea javanica in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma: a network pharmacology, molecular docking, and experimental study.

MingKang Li, Juan Zhan, YiHan Lai, YuJie Ma, HongCheng Wei, Lin Jiang, JuanJuan Zha, YiSen Shao, Wei Wang

Abstract read
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Article in European journal of medical research, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

9 authors.

MingKang Li *Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Juan Zhan *Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
YiHan LaiDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
YuJie MaThe Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
HongCheng WeiThe Affiliated Stomatological Hospital, Jiangxi Medical College, Nanchang University, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
Lin JiangDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
JuanJuan ZhaDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China.
YiSen ShaoDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. shaoyisen@jxutcm.edu.cn.
Wei WangDepartment of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China. wangwei42@jxutcm.edu.cn.

Funding

Jiangxi Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine General Project 2024A0167Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine Key Research Laboratory of Oral Diseases of Traditional Chinese Medicine No.2022.8Key Discipline Construction Fund of Jiangxi University of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2023jzzdxk004National Natural Science Foundation of China NSFC82060887Natural Science Foundation of Jiangxi Province 2023BAB206153Science and Technology Program of Jiangxi Provincial Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine 2024A0167Science and Technology Research Project of Jiangxi Provincial Department of Education 202210743
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo elucidate the potential targets and mechanisms of Brucea javanica in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) through network pharmacology and molecular docking, supported by clinical data and in vitro experiments.

methodsPotential targets of Brucea javanica and OSCC-related disease targets were identified via the TCMSP, GeneCards, and OMIM databases. A Venn diagram was employed to obtain the intersection targets, which were considered as the potential targets for Brucea javanica in OSCC treatment. The protein-protein interaction (PPI) network was constructed using the STRING database and Cytoscape 3.7.2 to identify core targets. Gene ontology (GO) function enrichment and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis of the intersection targets were conducted using the Metascape database. Molecular docking between the main components of Brucea javanica and core targets was performed using AutoDockTools software. The expression of core targets in clinical samples was analyzed via the GEO database. Finally, the effects of Brucea javanica oil (BJO) on OSCC proliferation, invasion, and migration, as well as the expression of the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway, were verified in vitro.

resultsA total of 60 potential targets of Brucea javanica against OSCC were identified, with β-sitosterol and luteolin selected as the primary active components. The five targets with the highest connectivity, AKT1, CASP3, PTGS2, TP53, and EGFR, were identified as core targets. KEGG pathway analysis indicated that the anti-OSCC effects of Brucea javanica are primarily mediated through the PI3K-AKT signaling pathway, JAK-STAT signaling pathway, etc. Molecular docking studies demonstrated strong binding affinities between the main components of Brucea javanica and its core targets. Analysis of clinical samples revealed elevated expression levels of core targets in OSCC samples compared to normal samples. The CCK-8 assay and colony formation assay indicated that BJO effectively inhibited OSCC cell proliferation. The scratch test and Transwell test showed that BJO could inhibit the invasion and migration of oral squamous cell carcinoma. In addition, Western blot and RT-qPCR showed that BJO could down-regulate the expression of EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway-related proteins and mRNA.

conclusionBrucea javanica exhibits multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics in the treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma, potentially exerting its anti-cancer effects by inhibiting the EGFR/PI3K/AKT signaling pathway.

Indexed as

Antineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicBruceaCarcinoma, Squamous CellMouth NeoplasmsSquamous Cell Carcinoma of Head and NeckCell Line, TumorCell MovementCell ProliferationHumansMolecular Docking SimulationNetwork PharmacologyProtein Interaction MapsProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktSignal TransductionAntineoplastic Agents, PhytogenicProto-Oncogene Proteins c-aktBrucea javanica oilNetwork pharmacologyOral squamous cell carcinomaSignaling pathway

Identifiers

PMID40452077
PMCPMC12128513

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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.