Emodin combined with 5‐aminolevulinic acid photodynamic therapy inhibits condyloma acuminate angiogenesis by targeting SerRS

Abstract Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection can cause condyloma acuminatum (CA), which is characterized by a high incidence and a propensity for recurrence after treatment. Angiogenesis plays an important role in the occurrence and development of CA. Seryl‐tRNA synthetase (SerRS) is a newly identified, potent anti‐angiogenic factor that directly binds to the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGFA) promoter, thereby suppressing its transcription. Emodin is a natural anthraquinone derivative that can promote SerRS expression. This study aimed to investigate the effects of emodin on CA and explore combined treatment strategies. The HPV‐infected cell line SiHa was treated with either DMSO, emodin, ALA‐PDT or a combination of emodin and ALA‐PDT. We observed the effects on cell proliferation, apoptosis and the SerRS‐VEGFA pathway. Our findings demonstrated that emodin targets angiogenesis through the SerRS‐VEGFA pathway, resulting in the inhibition of SiHa cell proliferation and promotion of apoptosis ( p < 0.001). To verify the therapeutic effect of emodin combined with ALA‐PDT on HPV‐associated tumours in vivo, we established an animal xenograft model by subcutaneously inoculating mice with SiHa cells ( n = 4). The results showed that the combination of emodin and ALA‐PDT significantly inhibited the expression of VEGFA to inhibit angiogenesis ( p < 0.001), thus showing an inhibitory effect on tumour ( p < 0.001). Furthermore, we determined that the mechanism underlying the decrease in VEGFA expression after emodin combined with ALA‐PDT in CA may be attributed to the promotion of SerRS expression ( p < 0.001). The combination of emodin and ALA‐PDT holds promise as a novel therapeutic target for CA by targeting neovascularization in condyloma tissues.