Bioinformatic analysis of CCA-1.1, a novel curcumin analog, uncovers furthermost noticeable target genes in colon cancer

The chemoprevention-curcumin analog 1.1 (CCA-1.1) is a derivative of Pentagamavunone-1 (PGV-1) equipped with augmented chemical and physical properties. This study explores the potential therapeutic targets and pathways of CCA-1.1 for colon cancer treatment using bioinformatic studies. Gene mutations associated with colon cancer were retrieved from the cBioPortal public database. Target genes of CCA-1.1 were obtained from seven online databases. We then analyzed the gene ontology profiles, KEGG-related pathways, protein–protein interaction (PPI) networks, related diseases, and drug associations of the potential target genes. A total of 914 mutated genes and 812 predictive target genes of CCA-1.1 were aligned, resulting in 93 genes of matches genes mainly enriched in the pathways of cancer metabolism and EGFR tyrosine-kinase inhibitor resistance. The top 20 hub genes showed major involvement in colorectal cancer. Drug association analysis demonstrated that CCA-1.1 was mostly related to protein kinase inhibitors. Three genes, including TP53, MAPK1, and ERBB2, were revealed as noticeable target genes of CCA-1.1; these were involved in colon cancer-related pathways and had important prognostic value. Overall, the putative target genes of CCA-1.1, including TP53, MAPK1, and ERBB2, and related pathways identified in this study, suggest a possible mechanism of CCA-1.1 that could contribute to the anti-colon cancer drug development.