Uncovering the mechanism of Scutellariae Radix in the treatment of breast cancer based on network pharmacology.

Breast cancer (BCa) is one of the most common malignant tumors that seriously affect women's physical and mental health and even endanger their lives. Establishing a primary prevention program for BCa remains a challenge. Traditional Chinese medicine, Scutellariae Radix (SR), has been used to treat BCa while its pharmacological mechanism is still unclear. This study aims to reveal the pharmacological mechanism of SR in the treatment of BCa. Chemical constituents of SR were obtained and the targets of the compound were identified via Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database (TCMSP). GeneCards and DrugBank databases were used to collect BCa's related target genes. Disease-compound common target protein interaction network was established by using the STRING database. The network diagrams of the active componentaction target and protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks were constructed by Cytoscape software. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway enrichment analyses were carried out to further explore the BCa mechanism and therapeutic effect of SR. As a result, 121 active compounds were obtained. The Venn diagram results showed that SR and BCa had 57 intersection targets, the more frequently targeted ones are TP53, JUN, CCND1, AKT1, which could affect biological processes such as response to steroid hormone and positive regulation of cell death. KEGG analysis revealed that these targets were related to IL-17 signaling pathway, p53 signaling pathway and PI3K-Akt signaling pathway. In conclusion, this study preliminarily verified the target and mode of action of SR in the treatment of BCa, laying a foundation for further research on its mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]