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Published on: May 10, 2022
A systematic study of traditional Chinese medicine treating hepatitis B virus-related hepatocellular carcinoma based
Xiaofeng Yin1, Jinchuan Li1, Zheng Hao1
1Department of Neurosurgery, Second Hospital of Shanxi Medical University, Taiyuan, China.
Insights
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers potential treatments for hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). A network pharmacology approach identified 913 compounds and 469 herbs targeting shared HBV and HCC pathways, aiding new drug development.
Area of Science:
- Pharmacology
- Hepatology
- Oncology
Background:
- Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a major global health issue, primarily caused by hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection.
- Current treatments for HBV-related HCC involve antiviral and anti-cancer therapies, but drug resistance and side effects necessitate novel therapeutic strategies.
- Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) presents a promising avenue due to its multi-component and multi-target characteristics for complex diseases like HBV-related HCC.
Purpose of the Study:
- To systematically investigate the therapeutic potential of TCM for HBV-related HCC using a target-driven reverse network pharmacology approach.
- To identify key shared targets between HBV and HCC, and subsequently screen relevant chemical components and herbs.
- To establish a comprehensive network of targets, chemical components, and herbs for potential drug discovery.
Main Methods:
- Screened 47 shared targets between HBV and HCC to define HBV-related HCC targets.
- Constructed a network integrating 47 targets, 913 chemical components, and 469 herbs.
- Validated herb relevance against existing hepatitis B and liver cancer guidelines.
- Performed functional analysis of targets and molecular docking for top chemical components.
- Analyzed herb properties (warm, bitter) and meridian distribution (liver).
Main Results:
- A network of 47 targets, 913 chemical components, and 469 TCM herbs relevant to HBV-related HCC was established.
- The identified herbs largely align with those in current hepatitis B and liver cancer treatment guidelines.
- Functional analysis elucidated biological processes and pathways modulated by the shared targets.
- Molecular docking confirmed favorable binding of top 50 chemical components to targets.
- Herbs were predominantly characterized by warm properties, bitter taste, and liver meridian affinity.
Conclusions:
- A curated library of 913 chemical components and 469 TCM herbs effective against HBV-related HCC was identified through a target-driven network pharmacology approach.
- This study provides a foundation for developing novel therapeutic strategies and drugs for HBV-related HCC.
- The findings highlight the potential of TCM in addressing the complexities of HBV-related HCC treatment.
Abstract:
Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a serious global health problem, and hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection remains the leading cause of HCC. It is standard care to administer antiviral treatment for HBV-related HCC patients with concurrent anti-cancer therapy. However, a drug with repressive effects on both HBV infection and HCC has not been discovered yet. In addition, drug resistance and side effects have made existing therapeutic regimens suboptimal. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has multi-ingredient and multi-target advantages in dealing with multifactorial HBV infection and HCC. TCM has long been served as a valuable source and inspiration for discovering new drugs. In present study, a target-driven reverse network pharmacology was applied for the first time to systematically study the therapeutic potential of TCM in treating HBV-related HCC. Firstly, 47 shared targets between HBV and HCC were screened as HBV-related HCC targets. Next, starting from 47 targets, the relevant chemical components and herbs were matched. A network containing 47 targets, 913 chemical components and 469 herbs was established. Then, the validated results showed that almost 80% of the herbs listed in chronic hepatitis B guidelines and primary liver cancer guidelines were included in the 469 herbs. Furthermore, functional analysis was conducted to understand the biological processes and pathways regulated by these 47 targets. The docking results indicated that the top 50 chemical components bound well to targets. Finally, the frequency statistical analysis results showed the 469 herbs against HBV-related HCC were mainly warm in property, bitter in taste, and distributed to the liver meridians. Taken together, a small library of 913 chemical components and 469 herbs against HBV-related HCC were obtained with a target-driven approach, thus paving the way for the development of therapeutic modalities to treat HBV-related HCC.
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