Digging deep into molecular pathways: Investigating the effects of 9S-HOD on leukemia cells using a systems biology approach

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a malignant disorder characterized by a poor prognosis. Current therapeutic approaches include chemotherapy, steroids administration, and blood transfusion. Previous studies have highlighted the potential anticancer property of 9-hydroxyoctadecadienoic acid (9S-HOD). This molecular computational research aims to investigate the intricate molecular mechanism underlying the effects of 9S-HOD on leukemia cells.

Utilizing proteomic data and the optimum numbers of the first neighbors from the STRING database, Cytoscape 3.9.1 along with its applications, NetworkAnalyzer and ClueGO+CuePedia were employed to analyze the constructed protein-protein interaction (PPI) network, its centrality and enrichments.

The analysis identified five proteins namely ACTB, HSP90AA1, GAPDH, TP53, and HSP90AB1 as potential central nodes within the PPI network. Furthermore, gene ontology analysis revealed “Response to salt stress” and “Positive regulation of type 1 interferon production” as enriched biological processes associated with these key elements of the PPI network. HSPA8, MYC, and KAT5 were identified as seed proteins within the sub-networks.

The findings suggest that the effect of 9S-HOD on the leukemia cells primarily involves the regulation of ACTB, HSP90AA1, HSP90AB1, GAPDH, and TP53.  additionally, HSPA8, MYC, and KAT5 emerged as important proteins influenced by 9S-HOD.