Modulation of TNFR 1-Triggered Inflammation and Apoptosis Signals by Jacaranone in Cancer Cells

Jacaranone derived from <i>Senecio scandens</i>, a traditional Chinese medicine used for centuries, has been documented to exhibit anti-inflammatory and antiproliferative properties in various tumor cell lines. However, the mechanism of action and relationship between inflammation and apoptosis induced by jacaranone remain inadequately elucidated. In this study, the targets of jacaranone and cancer were identified from various databases, while potential targets and pathways were predicted through the analysis of the protein-protein interactions (PPI) network and pathway enrichment. Through a comprehensive network pharmacology analysis and corroborating experimental findings, we revealed that jacaranone induces tumor cell death by fine-tuning the tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (TNFR1) downstream signaling pathway. TNFR1 serves as a key node that assembles into complexes I and II, regulating pathways including the nuclear factor (NF)-κB signaling pathway and the cell apoptosis pathway, which play crucial roles in cellular life activities. Jacaranone successfully guides survival signaling pathways to apoptotic mechanisms by inhibiting the assembly of complex I and promoting the formation of complex II. In particular, the main action mechanism of jacaranone lies in inducing the degradation of the inhibitor of apoptosis protein (cIAP)-2. cIAP-2 serves as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that ubiquitinates receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein kinase 1 (RIPK1), thereby hindering the formation of complex I and effectively reducing the phosphorylation of Inhibitor of κB kinase (IKK) β. When the deubiquitylation process of RIPK1 is triggered, it may promote the formation of complex II, which ultimately leads to cell apoptosis. This fully demonstrates the key role of jacaranone in regulating TNFR1 complexes, especially through the degradation of cIAP-2. Taken together, jacaranone hinders the assembly of TNFR1 complex I and promotes the formation of complex II to induce apoptosis of cancer cells. Our findings unveil a novel mechanism underlying jacaranone, while also presenting a fresh approach for the development of new pharmaceuticals.