Exploring The Therapeutic Targets And Signaling Mechanisms Of Quercetin Activity Against Radiation Skin Ulcer Based On The Observational Research Of Network Pharmacology

Therapeutic
Aging Pathway
Analytical
Quercetin, a natural compound, shows potential in treating radiation skin ulcers by targeting aging cells and key proteins involved in cell growth and survival pathways.
Author

Gemini

Published

July 7, 2026

Radiation therapy is a vital treatment for many cancers, but it can lead to challenging side effects like radiation skin ulcers, for which effective treatments are currently lacking. Recent research has explored a promising natural compound, quercetin, for its potential to combat this complication.

Using a sophisticated computational approach called network pharmacology, scientists investigated how quercetin interacts with the complex biological systems involved in radiation skin ulcers. Network pharmacology helps to identify multiple targets that a compound might influence, rather than just one. The findings suggest that quercetin may exert its therapeutic effects by specifically targeting “aging cells” – cells that have stopped dividing but remain active and can contribute to tissue damage.

Furthermore, the study pinpointed several crucial protein targets, including AKT1, EGFR, SRC, and TP53. These proteins are integral to the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway, which plays a significant role in cell growth, survival, and repair. By influencing these specific targets and pathways, quercetin could potentially help in the healing process of radiation-induced skin damage. This research opens new avenues for developing natural-compound-based strategies to manage and treat radiation skin ulcers.


Source: link to paper