Uncovering the potential mechanisms of aspartame-induced oral leukoplakia via integrated network toxicology and molecular dynamics simulations

This study presents an exploratory, integrative analysis identifying molecular features potentially linking aspartame exposure with OLK-associated epithelial phenotypes. The findings support the generation of testable hypotheses regarding ITGAV-, PLAU-, MMP16-, and NOS3-related pathways but do not establish exposure-response relationships or causal mechanisms. Further studies incorporating physiologically relevant dosing, pharmacokinetic validation, appropriate metabolic controls, and pathway-specific interventions are required to determine the biological relevance of these observations to real-world oral exposure.