Network Pharmacology-Based and Clinically Relevant Prediction of the Potential Targets of Chinese Herbs in Ovarian Cancer Patients

Abstract

Reports increasingly suggest that Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) has been used to treat ovarian cancer (OvCa) with a good curative effect; however, the molecular mechanisms underlying CHM are still unclear. In this retrospective study, we explored CHM’s molecular targets for the treatment of OvCa based on clinical data and network pharmacology. We used the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression analysis to verify the survival rate of 202 patients with CHM-treated OvCa. The association between CHM and survival time was analyzed by bivariate correlation. A target network of CHM active ingredients against OvCa was established via network pharmacology. Cox regression analysis showed that CHM is an independent favorable prognostic factor. The median survival time was 91 months in the CHM group and 65 months in the non-CHM group. The survival time of FIGO stage III patients in the two groups was 91 months and 52 months, and the median survival period of FIOG stage IV patients was 60 months and 22 months, respectively ( p < 0.001 ). Correlation analysis demonstrated that 12 herbs were closely associated with prognosis, especially in regard to the long-term benefits. Bioinformatics analysis indicated that the anti-OvCa activity of these 12 herbs occurs mainly through the regulation of apoptosis-related protein expression, which promotes OvCa cell apoptosis and inhibits OvCa development. They also regulate the progress of OvCa treatment by promoting or inhibiting protein expression on the p53 signaling pathway and by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway by directly inhibiting NF-κB.

Effect of Psychological Intervention Combined with Dietary Guidance on Quality of Life and Long-Term Efficacy of Bushen Quyu Decoction in Treatment of Patients with Advanced Ovarian Cancer

“…In recent years, Chinese medicine adjuvant therapy has been widely used in the clinical treatment of ovarian cancer. By regulating the immune function of the body, it can improve the toxic and side effects caused by chemotherapy, thus inhibiting the metastasis and recurrence of cancer cells, improving the clinical efficacy, and prolonging the survival time [ 6 , 7 ]. Clinical experience has shown that most patients with ovarian cancer will have different degrees of psychological problems, such as anxiety, anger, depression, giving up, and other psychological changes, so it is very necessary to implement appropriate psychological care interventions for patients [ 8 ].…”

Exploring the Pharmacological Mechanism of the Effective Chinese Medicines Against Gynecological Cancer Based on Meta-Analysis Combined With Network Pharmacology Analysis

“…Previously, Ge et al (10) provided a comprehensive meta-analysis for people with OC, but they only investigated the efficacy of TCM concerning survival, QOL, and immune function without assessing its safety. Coincidentally, network pharmacology conducted by Sun et al (25) also paid attention to the potential targets of TCM for OC patients. However, in our study, which included 11 RCTs consisting of 863 GC patients, it was shown that TCM plus chemotherapy can provide more durable disease control and improve GC patients' QOL without substantially increasing AEs compared with chemotherapy alone, and the major ingredients and major targets involved in the effective treatments were also illustrated.…”

GC-MS and LC-MS/MS Analysis of Bouea macrophylla Fruit Juice

“…This compound is a compound of organic acid that was isolated for the first time from Ginkgo biloba L. (Feng-Yung et al, 1962; D. Zhou et al, 2012). According to Sun et al (2020), this compound is a potential source of anticancer drugs for ovarian cancer. This compound also has the potential as a therapeutic agent for improving asthma (Clyne et al, 2020).…”