Network-Based Identification of Ginkgo biloba Targets for Sudden Sensorineural Hearing Loss Intervention

Ginkgo biloba extract (GBE) is commonly used to treat sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL), but its mechanisms are not fully understood. This study aimed to identify the bioactive components and therapeutic targets of GBE in SSNHL using network pharmacology and molecular docking.

Bioactive compounds of GBE were sourced from the TCMSP database, and their potential targets, along with SSNHL-related genes, were obtained from the GeneCards database. PPI networks were created using STRING and visualized with Cytoscape. Functional enrichment analyses, including GO and KEGG, were performed using the "clusterProfiler" package in R. CB-Dock molecular docking was used to confirm the binding affinities between key GBE components and main protein targets.

Twenty-seven bioactive GBE components and 223 potential targets were identified, overlapping with 744 SSNHL-related targets to determine 24 key therapeutic targets. Enriched GO terms included organic/ carboxylic/fatty acid catabolic process, neuron apoptotic process, lipid modification, membrane raft, membrane microdomain, mitochondrial inner membrane, kinase regulator activity, kinase activator activity, and organic acid binding. KEGG pathways implicated allograft rejection, adipocytokine signaling, and biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids. Molecular docking confirmed favorable binding affinities between GBE constituents and core targets, suggesting biologically plausible interactions.

Potential targets for screening encompassed genes, such as KCNH2, BDNF, NOS3, ADIPOQ, and CASP3, among others.

This study elucidated the potential molecular mechanism through which GBE exerts its therapeutic effects in SSNHL, thereby establishing a rationale for subsequent experimental and clinical investigations.