This study uses computational and database-based approaches to systematically explore potential associations between parabens and PCa, identifying 8 key genes that may mediate this association and providing a theoretical foundation for formulating safer preservative usage guidelines and exploring PCa prognostic markers. Importantly, the current findings are derived from in silico prediction and public database analysis, not from experimental verification involving paraben exposure controls. The study identifies potential correlations rather than verifying direct molecular mechanisms of parabens in PCa; thus, it generates valuable scientific hypotheses that require further validation via in vitro cell experiments, animal models, and human exposure cohort studies to confirm the actual molecular mechanisms linking parabens to PCa.
Zhu et al. (Sun,) studied this question.