Regulatory effect of Ficus Carica Latex on Cell Cycle Progression in Human Papillomavirus Positive Cervical Cancer Cell Lines: Insights from Gene Expression Analysis

Abstract

Abstract Cervical cancer presents a significant global health concern with high-risk human papillomaviruses (HPVs) identified as the main cause of this cancer. Although current treatment methods for cervical cancer can eliminate lesions, preventing metastatic spread and minimizing tissue damage remains a major challenge. Therefore, the development of a safer and innovative therapeutic approach is of utmost importance. Natural products like Fig latex, derived from the Ficus Carica tree, have demonstrated promising anti-cancer properties when tested on cervical cancer cell lines. However, the specific mechanisms by which Fig latex exerts its effects are still unknown. In this study, we conducted RNA-seq analysis to explore how fig latex may counteract carcinogenesis in HPV-positive cervical cancer cell lines, namely CaSki (HPV type 16-positive) and HeLa (HPV type 18-positive). Our results from this investigation indicates that Fig latex influences the expression of genes associated with the development and progression of cervical cancer, including pathways related to " Nonsense-Mediated Decay (NMD), " Cell Cycle regulation ", and “ Transcriptional Regulation by TP53 ”. This selective impact of fig latex on cancer-related pathways suggests a potential novel therapeutic approach for HPV-related cervical cancer.