Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Modern Era; Network Pharmacology Exploration of Neuroprotective Mechanisms: A Systematic Review.

INTRODUCTION

Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a multifactorial neurodegenerative disorder characterized by complex molecular dysregulation that cannot be adequately addressed by single-- target therapeutic strategies. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), with its multi-component, multi-target philosophy, has attracted renewed scientific interest through the application of Network Pharmacology (NP). This systematic review aims to critically evaluate and synthesize current evidence on the use of NP to elucidate the neuroprotective mechanisms of TCM in AD.

METHODS

A systematic literature review was conducted using PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Google Scholar to identify studies published between 2005 and March 2025. Eligible studies employed network pharmacology or systems pharmacology approaches to investigate TCM formulations, herbs, or bioactive compounds in the context of AD. Data were extracted on compound-- target interactions, protein-protein interaction networks, pathway enrichment analyses, and literature-reported molecular docking or experimental validation. No new experimental or computational analyses were performed.

RESULTS

The reviewed studies consistently demonstrated that network pharmacology effectively reveals key molecular targets and signaling pathways involved in AD pathogenesis, including PI3K/Akt, mTOR, MAPK, NF-κB, oxidative stress, and neuroinflammatory pathways.

DISCUSSION: These findings highlight NP as a valuable systems-level framework that bridges TCM theory with modern molecular pharmacology. However, limitations such as database dependency, prediction bias, and limited experimental validation remain.

CONCLUSION

This systematic review enhances mechanistic understanding of TCM-based interventions for AD and offers a rational foundation for future experimental, clinical, and drug-discovery studies targeting complex neurodegenerative diseases.