Study Shows Therapeutic Target, Molecular Mechanisms of Taxus Chinensis in Treating NSCLC

Taxus chinensis (TC) has significant therapeutic potential in alleviating non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), according to a study published in the journal Medicine. 

In this study, investigators used integrated bioinformatics and network pharmacology to examine the potential targets and molecular mechanisms of TC against NSCLC. They designed a protein-protein interaction network, and topological analysis was performed to obtain hub genes. The researchers noted that the expression of the hub genes in NSCLC tissues and their consequent effects on the prognosis of patients with NSCLC were confirmed. Molecular docking was then used to verify the binding affinity between the active ingredients of TC and the hub targets.

The analysis uncovered 401 common targets that were significantly enriched in the cancer, MAPK signaling, and PI3K/Akt signaling pathways. Gene hubs included proto-oncogene tyrosine-protein kinase Src (SRC), mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, phosphoinositide-3-kinase, regulatory subunit 1 (PIK3R1), AKT serine/threonine kinase 1 (AKT1), phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha, and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase.

Immunohistochemical results confirmed that the expression of SRC, mitogen-activated protein kinase 1, PIK3R1, AKT1, and phosphatidylinositol-4,5-bisphosphate 3-kinase catalytic subunit alpha was upregulated in the NSCLC tissues. Moreover, a survival analysis showed that the expression of SRC, AKT1, PIK3R1, and lymphocyte-specific protein tyrosine kinase was closely related to the prognosis of patients with NSCLC.

“Molecular docking results confirmed all bioactive ingredients present in TC [were] strongly bound to hub targets,” the researchers wrote. “TC exhibits an anti-NSCLC role through multi-target combination and multi-pathway cooperation,” they concluded.