Analyzing the Multi-target Pharmacological Mechanism of Folium Artemisiae Argyi Acting on Breast Cancer: A Network Pharmacology Approach

Background: Folium Artemislae Argyl (FAA) is a traditional Chinese herb medicine widely used in clinic. However, the underlying mechanisms of its anticancer effects have not been fully understood. Methods: : In this study, we applied a network pharmacology approach to dig out the potential mechanisms of FAA against breast cancer. Results: : We obtained 9 active ingredients and 236 potential targets from FAA in total to construct a network, which showed that quercetin served as the major ingredient in FAA. AKT1 (RAC-alpha serine/threonine-protein kinase), MYC (Myc proto-oncogene protein), CASP3 (Caspase-3), EGFR (Epidermal growth factor receptor), JUN (Transcription factor AP-1), CCND1 (G1/S-specific cyclin-D1), VEGFA (Vascular endothelial growth factor A), ESR1 (Estrogen receptor), MAPK1 (Mitogen-activated protein kinase 1) and EGF (Pro-epidermal growth factor) were identified as key targets of FAA in the treatment of breast cancer. The protein protein interaction (PPI) cluster demonstrated that AKT1 was the seed in this cluster, indicating that AKT1 played a crucial role in connecting other nodes in the PPI network. This enrichment demonstrated that FAA was highly related to signal transduction, endocrine system, replication and repair, cell growth and death. The enrichment results also verified that the underlying mechanisms of FAA against breast cancer might be attributed to coordinated regulation of several cancer-related pathways, such as MAPK signaling pathway, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling pathway, among of others. Conclusions: : To summarize, this study aimed to identify the potential targets and pathways of FAA as a treatment against breast cancer using the network pharmacology approach, and systematically elucidate the mechanisms of FAA in the treatment of breast cancer.