Pharmacological mechanism of mylabris in the treatment of leukemia based on bioinformatics and systematic pharmacology

Bioengineered. 2021 Dec;12(1):3229-3239. doi: 10.1080/21655979.2021.1943110.

Abstract

Leukemia is a common blood cancer, whose treatment usually necessitates chemo/radiotherapy and bone marrow transplant. Hence, safer and more effective options are urgently needed. Mylabris, the dried body of blister beetles, has been used extensively in traditional Chinese medicine. This study applied bioinformatics and systematic pharmacology to investigate the mechanism of action of mylabris in the treatment of leukemia. Five effective components and 35 corresponding target proteins were identified by screening the TCMSP database; whereas 776 genes related to leukemia were selected using OMIM, GeneCards, and the Therapeutic Target Database. Eight genes common to mylabris and leukemia were identified. Protein-protein interaction network analysis and a component-target-pathway diagram identified TP53 and PTEN as key gene targets of mylabris in the treatment of leukemia. GO enrichment analysis pointed to DNA damage and cell cycle disorder caused by p53 signaling as the most significant processes; whereas KEGG enrichment pointed to the p53 signaling pathway. In summary, mylabris may exert a therapeutic effect on leukemia by triggering DNA damage, inducing apoptosis, as well as inhibiting the growth and proliferation of tumor cells through the regulation of TP53 and PTEN. These findings provide a mechanistic rationale for the treatment of leukemia with traditional Chinese medicine.

Keywords: Mylabris; bioinformatics; leukemia; p53 signaling; systematic pharmacology.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Biological Products* / chemistry
  • Biological Products* / metabolism
  • Coleoptera*
  • Computational Biology / methods*
  • Databases, Protein
  • Drug Discovery
  • Humans
  • Leukemia* / genetics
  • Leukemia* / metabolism
  • Medicine, Chinese Traditional
  • Network Pharmacology / methods*
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / genetics
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 / metabolism

Substances

  • Biological Products
  • TP53 protein, human
  • Tumor Suppressor Protein p53

Grants and funding

This study was supported by project of shaoxing medical key discipline construction plan [2019SZD06], Opening project of Zhejiang provincial preponderant and characteristic subject of key university (traditional chinese pharmacology), Zhejiang Chinese Medical University [No. ZYAOX2018035] and the Project of Health and Family Planning Commission of Zhejiang province [No. 2021KY1139].