Multi-Omics and Network Pharmacology Approaches for Unraveling Druggable Targets of Natural Products in COVID-19 Treatment
Eman Shawky, Reham S. Ibrahim · Apple Academic Press eBooks · 2025
The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the critical need to understand the molecular mechanisms of the disease and identify effective antiviral drugs. Natural products, known for their polypharmacological properties, have shown promise in treating COVID-19 by regulating inflammatory, antiviral, and immune responses while promoting tissue repair. However, the complexity of their composition and pharmacological mechanisms makes drug discovery challenging. To address this, multi-omics and systems biology approaches have emerged as powerful tools for identifying lead compounds and novel druggable targets in natural products. Omics-based strategies, including genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, and metabolomics, have been integrated into multi-omics frameworks to enhance drug discovery efforts. Network pharmacology (NP) has further advanced this field by mapping the intricate relationships between natural products, their active compounds, targets, and pathways, providing a holistic view of their therapeutic effects. By combining computational techniques with NP, researchers have significantly improved the screening and identification of bioactive compounds at an unprecedented pace. This book chapter will explore recent advancements in multi-omics and NP approaches and how these modern techniques have been utilized to decipher the mechanisms by which natural products combat COVID-19.