AKT1 and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: <i>In vivo</i> experiments demonstrated that crocin administration significantly alleviated lung injury and inflammation and reduced the p-AKT1/AKT1 ratio, consistent with network analysis and CETSA findings, suggesting the observed effects were not solely attributable to PAINS interference.<h4>Conclusion</h4>These findings support the therapeutic potential of crocin in COPD through its anti-inflammatory activity and regulation of AKT1.