A network pharmacology analysis of curcumin in the treatment of oral submucous fibrosis.

Oral submucous fibrosis(OSF) is a chronically progressive lesion in which the pathologic process begins with abnormal changes in the mucosal tissue. It is widely recognized as a precancerous lesion of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Curcumin, a polyphenol derived from turmeric, has several biological effects. Curcumin suppresses the process of OSF and improves signs of related diseases. Nevertheless, the molecular actions involved in curcumin's intervention in OSF remain to be further elucidated. Accordingly, our study used network pharmacology combined with molecular docking strategy to systematically investigate the multiple-target mechanism of action of curcumin in intervening in oral submucosal fibrosis. Relying on the network topology approach, the study initially identified 194 potential targets of action. The core action targets of curcumin are MMP9, TP53, MYC and TNF, among others, and its key signaling pathways are PI3K/AKT, tumor and other signals, and so on, so that multi-component, multi-targets, and multi-pathways exert its therapeutic effects on OSF. By elucidating the multi-target mechanism of action of curcumin, our study offers a new theoretical basis for the clinical therapy strategy of OSF.