Advances in traditional Chinese medicine for respiratory disease therapy in 2021

ABSTRACT

Respiratory diseases are common conditions that endanger human health. Their etiology, pathogenesis, and prognosis are complex, and clinical research has been extensive. This paper reviews studies from the PubMed database to assess the progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the treatment of respiratory diseases in 2021, focusing on related animal and cell models of coronavirus disease 2019. Traditional Chinese medicine extracts, such as polysaccharides and emodin, and classic prescriptions, such as Mahuang decoction, respond to the treatment of influenza by reducing viral infections and regulating the body’s immune response. Chinese herbal extracts, such as schizandra B and andrographolide, treat asthma by inhibiting inflammatory response pathway formation, NLRP3 inflammasome formation, oxidative stress, and autophagy. Traditional Chinese medicine extracts such as fucoxanthin, and proprietary Chinese medicines such as the Xihuang pill is used in the treatment of lung cancer, as it regulates the cell cycle, inhibit tumor cell proliferation, and enhance the body’s immune function. Classic formulas such as the kidney tonic lung formula and proprietary Chinese medicine, such as compound grass stone silkworm granules, relieve airway inflammation and improve lung function in chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. Chinese herbal extracts, such as jostilbene and sage phenol, inhibit epithelial cell–mesenchymal transformation and regulate the levels of inflammatory factors to treat idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis to provide a reliable basis for the treatment of respiratory diseases.