Abstract

Background: Chronic urticaria (CU) is a refractory, long-course skin disorder involving multifactorial and complex pathophysiology. Although Shengma Gegen decoction (SMGG) shows clinical benefit, its mechanistic basis remains unclear.
Aims: To elucidate the multitarget, multipathway mechanisms of SMGG in CU and to prioritize key targets and pathways for subsequent experimental validation. Materials and methods: We integrated network pharmacology and bioinformatics using TCMSP, UniProt, GeneCards, and OMIM. A total of 126 bioactive compounds and 216 putative targets were identified. Enrichment analyses (including KEGG) were performed, immune-infiltration patterns were assessed, and molecular docking plus molecular-dynamics simulations evaluated ligand–target interactions.
Results: Key regulatory targets were highlighted – MMP9, IL6, AKT1, IL1B and TNF – with strong associations to inflammatory and immune regulation. KEGG analysis prioritized AGE–RAGE, TNF, and IL-17 pathways. Immune-infiltration analysis suggested that SMGG may modulate the Th1/Th2 balance. Docking and dynamics demonstrated stable binding and plausible dynamic interactions between representative active components and the prioritized targets.
Discussion: These findings support a multi-target, multi-pathway mode of action for SMGG in CU, aligning inflammatory signaling and immune modulation. As an in-silico study, the results provide hypotheses that warrant rigorous in-vitro and in-vivo validation.
Conclusion: SMGG may ameliorate CU by coordinately regulating inflammatory pathways (AGE–RAGE, TNF, IL-17) and immune balance via core targets (MMP9, IL6, AKT1, IL1B, TNF). The study offers a mechanistic basis and target/pathway prioritization to guide future experimental work and the modernization of traditional formulations.

Author Details

Authors

• Miao Hu¹
• Yirong Ma¹
• Jiaming Li¹
• Jianguang Wu²

Departments

• ¹ Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, and
• ² Cardiology Department, Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine, Nanchang, Jiangxi, China

Address

Jianguang Wu
Cardiology Department
Affiliated Hospital of Jiangxi University of Chinese Medicine
Nanchang, Jiangxi, China
Email: [email protected]

Citation