Systems pharmacology-based investigation of Sanwei Ganjiang Prescription: related mechanisms in liver injury

Active ingredients of traditional Chinese medicine for enhancing the effect of tumor immunotherapy

Immunotherapy is a type of treatment that uses our own immune system to fight cancer. Studies have shown that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has antitumor activity and can enhance host immunity. This article briefly describes the immunomodulatory and escape mechanisms in tumors, as well as highlights and summarizes the antitumor immunomodulatory activities of some representative active ingredients of TCM. Finally, this article puts forward some opinions on the future research and clinical application of TCM, aiming to promote the clinical applications of TCM in tumor immunotherapy and to provide new ideas for the research of tumor immunotherapy using TCM.

Systems Pharmacology-Based Dissection of Anti-Cancer Mechanism of Traditional Chinese Herb Saussurea involucrata

Cancer has the highest mortality in humans worldwide, and the development of effective drugs remains a key issue. Traditional Chinese medicine Saussurea involucrata (SI) exhibits a series of effects, such as anti-cancer, but the action mechanisms are still unclear. Here, systems pharmacology was applied to reveal its anti-cancer mechanism. First, we screened the active compounds of SI. Then, the compound–target network, target–disease network, and target–pathway network were constructed. DAVID was applied for GOBP analysis and KEGG pathway enrichment analysis on cancer-related targets. Seven potential compounds and 187 targets were identified. The target–disease classification network showed that compounds mainly regulated proteins related to cancer, nervous system diseases, and cardiovascular system diseases. Also, SI anti-tumor effect mainly associated with the regulation of NO production, angiogenesis, MAPK, and PKB from GOBP enrichment. Additionally, KEGG pathway enrichment indicated that targets involved in anti-inflammatory action, inhibiting angiogenesis and anti-proliferation or inducing apoptosis. Experimental validation showed that four active compounds could inhibit cell proliferation and promote apoptosis in A549 (except for kaempferol), PC-3, and C6 cells. This study not only provides experimental evidence for further research on SI in cancer treatment but also promotes the development of potential drugs of SI in modern medicine.

(+)-Clausenamide protects against drug-induced liver injury by inhibiting hepatocyte ferroptosis

Drug-induced liver injury is the major cause of acute liver failure. However, the underlying mechanisms seem to be multifaceted and remain poorly understood, resulting in few effective therapies. Here, we report a novel mechanism that contributes to acetaminophen-induced hepatotoxicity through the induction of ferroptosis, a distinctive form of programmed cell death. We subsequently identified therapies protective against acetaminophen-induced liver damage and found that (+)-clausenamide ((+)-CLA), an active alkaloid isolated from the leaves of Clausena lansium (Lour.) Skeels, inhibited acetaminophen-induced hepatocyte ferroptosis both in vivo and in vitro. Consistently, (+)-CLA significantly alleviated acetaminophen-induced or erastin-induced hepatic pathological damages, hepatic dysfunctions and excessive production of lipid peroxidation both in cultured hepatic cell lines and mouse liver. Furthermore, treatment with (+)-CLA reduced the mRNA level of prostaglandin endoperoxide synthase 2 while it increased the protein level of glutathione peroxidase 4 in hepatocytes and mouse liver, confirming that the inhibition of ferroptosis contributes to the protective effect of (+)-CLA on drug-induced liver damage. We further revealed that (+)-CLA specifically reacted with the Cys-151 residue of Keap1, which blocked Nrf2 ubiquitylation and resulted in an increased Nrf2 stability, thereby leading to the activation of the Keap1–Nrf2 pathway to prevent drug-induced hepatocyte ferroptosis. Our studies illustrate the innovative mechanisms of acetaminophen-induced liver damage and present a novel intervention strategy to treat drug overdose by using (+)-CLA.