Environmental exposure and pulmonary toxicity: Integrated computational network toxicology and RNA-seq analysis uncovers public health implications of sulfur mustard contamination

Sulfur mustard (SM), a persistent environmental contaminant in conflict zones, induces severe pulmonary and systemic toxicity through airborne, soil, and groundwater exposure routes. While the mechanisms and core targets of SM remain complex, computational network toxicology predicted six core targets (PTGS2, ESR1, APP, SIRT1, ACE, CASP3) converging on environmental stress responses, neurotoxicity cascades, and metabolic dysregulation. These alterations drive immunotoxicity, inflammatory responses, cytogenetic mutations, and ultimately leading to lung injury. Critically, RNA-seq validation confirmed CASP3 elevation (1.4-fold) and SIRT1 suppression (1.5-fold) as exposure biomarkers directly informing remediation policies for contaminated ecosystems. This integrated computational-experimental approach reveals novel therapeutic strategies against SM's public health impact.