Kaempferol enhances immunogenic cell death via premortem stress and necroptosis in cholangiocarcinoma: Insights from network pharmacology and mechanistic studies.

BACKGROUND

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is a highly aggressive malignancy with limited therapeutic options. Natural compounds such as kaempferol have shown anti-cancer potential, but their mechanisms of action in CCA remain unclear.

METHODS

Network pharmacology and molecular docking analyses were employed to predict potential targets and pathways of kaempferol in CCA. Public transcriptomics data were used to identify CCA-specific genes. Experimental assays, including Western blotting, immunofluorescence, flow cytometry, and dendritic cell maturation assays, were performed to validate key pathways and immune-related responses in kaempferol-treated CCA cells.

RESULTS

Bioinformatics analysis revealed that kaempferol targets involved in ER stress, autophagy, and necroptosis, including HSP90AA1, HSPA8, CAPN1, and PPIA. Molecular docking showed a strong binding affinity of kaempferol to these proteins. Experimental validation confirmed that kaempferol induced ER stress (via p-eIF2α) and autophagy (via LC3B-II) in a time- and dose-dependent manner. Combined with zVAD-FMK and LCL-161, kaempferol triggered necroptosis as indicated by increased p-MLKL. This combination also enhanced immunogenic cell death, evidenced by calreticulin exposure and HMGB1 release. Conditioned media from treated CCA cells promoted dendritic cell maturation, suggesting activation of an anti-tumor immune response.

CONCLUSION

Kaempferol acts as a multi-target therapeutic agent in CCA by inducing ER stress, autophagy, and triggering necroptosis when combined with zVAD-FMK and LCL-161, while enhancing immunogenic cell death. These findings support its potential as a novel immunogenic cell death-based treatment strategy for CCA.