National Cancer Center/National Clinical Research Center for Cancer/Cancer Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and Peking Union Medical College, Beijing 100021, China.
Department of Oncology, Beijing Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Beijing 100039, China.
Biomed Res Int. 2022 Jul 13;2022:4931368. doi: 10.1155/2022/4931368. eCollection 2022.
Bone metastasis is a common complication in patients with advanced tumors, causing pain and bone destruction and affecting their quality of life. Typically, complementary and alternative medicine (CAM), with unique theoretical guidance, has played key roles in the treatment of tumor-related diseases. Gu-tong formula (GTF), as a representative prescription of traditional Chinese medicine, has been demonstrated to be an effective clinical medication for the relief of cancer pain. However, the molecular mechanism of GTF in the treatment of osteolytic metastasis is still unclear. Herein, we employ network pharmacology and molecular dynamics methods to uncover the potential treatment mechanism, indicating that GTF can reduce the levels of serum IL6 and TGFB1 and thus limit the scope of bone cortical damage. Among the active compounds, sesamin and deltoin can bind stably with IL6 and TGFB1, respectively, and have the potential to become anti-inflammatory and anticancer drugs. Although the reasons for the therapeutic effect of GTF are complex and comprehensive, this work provides biological plausibility in the treatment of osteolytic metastases, which has a guiding significance for the treatment of cancer pain with CAM.
骨转移是晚期肿瘤患者的常见并发症，可导致疼痛和骨破坏，影响其生活质量。通常情况下，补充和替代医学（CAM）以其独特的理论指导，在治疗与肿瘤相关的疾病方面发挥了关键作用。骨痛方（GTF）作为中药的代表性方剂，已被证明是缓解癌痛的有效临床药物。然而，GTF 治疗溶骨性转移的分子机制尚不清楚。在此，我们采用网络药理学和分子动力学方法来揭示其潜在的治疗机制，表明 GTF 可以降低血清 IL6 和 TGFB1 的水平，从而限制骨皮质损伤的范围。在活性化合物中，芝麻素和芝麻林酚可以分别与 IL6 和 TGFB1 稳定结合，具有成为抗炎和抗癌药物的潜力。虽然 GTF 治疗效果的原因复杂且综合，但这项工作为溶骨性转移的治疗提供了生物学依据，对 CAM 治疗癌痛具有指导意义。
