[Patterns and mechanisms of the

objectivesUnder the guidance of analogical thinking in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the "treating of skin with skin" therapy, using processed animal and plant skin-derived medicinal materials to treat skin diseases, has a long history but lacks scientific evidence-based support. This study aims to apply data mining and network pharmacology techniques to explore the prescription patterns and mechanisms of action of the "treating skin with skin" therapy, and to interpret its rationality, effectiveness, and scientific basis using modern scientific methods.

methodsRelevant literature from Chinese and English databases over the past 20 years was retrieved and integrated according to inclusion and exclusion criteria. Data were integrated and mined using software such as Excel, OriginPro 2021, and SPSS Modeler 18.0. Frequency analysis, cluster analysis, and association rule analysis were performed sequentially to summarize high-frequency plant skin-derived Chinese medicinal materials and extract the core prescription. Core prescription drugs and skin disease-related gene targets were obtained from drug and disease target databases, including the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform and GeneCards. Intersection targets were identified using Venny 2.1.0, and core targets were further extracted. Protein-protein interaction (PPI) network analysis, Gene Ontology (GO) functional enrichment analysis, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analysis were conducted for the intersection targets, and finally a "core drug-component-target-pathway" network was constructed and visualized.

resultsBased on the inclusion and exclusion criteria, 563 eligible articles were ultimately included, from which 32 prescriptions were extracted, involving 21 plant skin-derived Chinese medicinal materials. Among them, 15 medicinal materials had a usage frequency exceeding 50%, with bitter, sweet, and cold properties predominating. Cluster analysis yielded 4 effective clusters. Cluster 1:

conclusionsGuided by TCM analogical thinking, the core prescription of the "treating skin with skin" therapy exerts therapeutic effects on skin diseases through synergistic actions involving multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways. Its effect is significant, the rationale is well founded, and its origins are well established.