Unraveling the Mechanism of Action of Cepharanthine for the Treatment of Novel Coronavirus Pneumonia (COVID-19) from the Perspectives of Systematic Pharmacology

This study investigated the potential therapeutic effects of cepharanthine for treating COVID-19 by identifying 173 potential targets and 86 intersectional targets. Gene Ontology enrichment analysis indicated that cepharanthine's action against COVID-19 involved inflammatory, immune cell, and enzyme activities. Additionally, pathway enrichment analysis identified five main signaling pathways associated with COVID-19. Molecular docking and dynamics simulations highlighted six core targets for cepharanthine. The study concluded that cepharanthine could play a significant role in treating SARS-CoV-2 infection by targeting multiple pathways and related targets, offering insights for the western medical community.