Evodiamine Boosts AR Expression to Trigger Senescence and Halt Proliferation in OSCC Cells

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), an aggressive and poorly prognosed subtype of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC), has prompted urgent calls for innovative therapeutic approaches. Evodiamine (EVO), a natural alkaloid extracted from the Chinese herb Evodia rutaecarpa, has demonstrated significant potential in curbing tumor cell proliferation and slowing tumor expansion. However, its specific effects on cell senescence within the context of OSCC have remained shrouded in uncertainty. This study delves into the mechanisms of EVO's impact on OSCC by harnessing databases such as the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP), The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO), and CellAge to pinpoint potential targets and carry out in-depth bioinformatics analysis. The findings reveal that EVO can markedly enhance the expression of the androgen receptor (AR) in OSCC cells, inducing cellular senescence and thereby inhibiting tumor progression. Furthermore, the research indicates that AR expression is considerably lower in OSCC tissues than in normal tissues. This low expression of AR in tumor tissues is closely associated with advanced clinical stages and unfavorable prognoses in HNSCC patients. These discoveries open up new avenues for therapeutic strategies, and suggest that AR holds promise as a potential therapeutic target for OSCC, and EVO may amplify its antitumor effects by enhancing AR-mediated cellular senescence in the treatment of OSCC.