Targeting Gastric Cancer Cell Proliferation: Unraveling the Therapeutic Potential of Oxidized Matrine Modulation of the TGF-β/Smad Pathway

Abstract

Abstract Background Gastric carcinoma (GC) remains a significant therapeutic challenge, garnering widespread attention. Oxymatrine (OMT), an active component of the traditional Chinese medi-cine compound Kushen injection (CKI), has shown promising results in combination with chemotherapy for the treatment of GC. However, the molecular mechanisms underlying OMT's therapeutic effects in GC have yet to be elucidated. Methods In this study, we employed a comprehensive research framework, comprising cellular experiments, transcriptome sequencing, the construction of a competing endogenous RNA (ceRNA) network and bioinformatics analysis, to investigate the potential role of oxymatrine in gastric cancer. Results Our findings revealed that OMT inhibits gastric cancer cell proliferation through the TGF-β/Smad pathway. Key genes involved in this pathway were identified as TGFBR2, E2F2. Conclusion OMT effectively suppresses gastric cancer cell growth by modulating the TGF-β/Smad pathway, with TGFBR2 and E2F2 playing pivotal roles. This study provides novel insights into the pathogenesis of gastric cancer involving OMT and explores its potential as a promising new target for traditional Chinese medicine-based therapy.