Chen XY, Lan X. Unraveling the therapeutic potential of Calculus Bovis in liver cancer: A novel step for targeted cancer treatment. World J Gastroenterol 2025; 31(3): 99358 [DOI: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i3.99358]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Xiang Lan, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China. lanxiangkeyan@163.com
Research Domain of This Article
Medicine, Research & Experimental
Article-Type of This Article
Letter to the Editor
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Gastroenterol. Jan 21, 2025; 31(3): 99358 Published online Jan 21, 2025. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v31.i3.99358
Unraveling the therapeutic potential of Calculus Bovis in liver cancer: A novel step for targeted cancer treatment
Xing-Yu Chen, Xiang Lan
Xing-Yu Chen, Xiang Lan, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400016, China
Author contributions: Chen XY is responsible for the writing of the article; Lan X provided guidance throughout the writing process of the article.
Conflict-of-interest statement: The authors of this editorial declare that they have no conflicts of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Xiang Lan, MD, PhD, Professor, Department of Hepatobiliary Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Chongqing Medical University, No. 1 Youyi Road, Yuanjiagang, Yuzhong District, Chongqing 400016, China. lanxiangkeyan@163.com
Received: July 20, 2024 Revised: November 11, 2024 Accepted: November 22, 2024 Published online: January 21, 2025 Processing time: 152 Days and 12.2 Hours
Abstract
Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths globally, and effective treatments are urgently needed. The present study aimed to investigate the inhibitory effect of Calculus Bovis (CB) on liver cancer and the underlying mechanisms. CB inhibited M2 tumor-associated macrophage polarization and modulated the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, thereby suppressing the proliferation of liver cancer cells. The inhibitory effect on liver cancer growth was confirmed by both in vivo and in vitro experiments (detailed by Huang et al). The present study provides a theoretical basis for the application of CB for the treatment of liver cancer, providing new avenues for liver cancer treatment.
Core Tip: Calculus Bovis (CB), a valuable herb in traditional Chinese medicine, has shown definite anti-liver cancer effects in vivo. Analyses of the composition of CB and the use of network pharmacology for target prediction revealed that CB has anti-liver cancer effects by affecting immune-related pathways in the tumor microenvironment. Transcriptome sequencing demonstrated that the regulation of the M2-type tumor-associated macrophage (TAM) polarization is responsible for the effects of CB. In vitro studies revealed that modulating the Wnt/β-catenin pathway is a crucial mechanism by which CB regulates M2 polarization of TAMs. The present study provides evidence for the development of liver cancer therapeutics.
