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Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immune Regulation

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Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicines (TCMs) have a long history in Asian countries and are traditionally used to prevent and treat a variety of diseases. The rising interest in TCMs in recent years is reflected in both the increase in their market demand as well as scientific research. Previous studies show that TCMs perform dual roles on immunological regulation: immunological activation and immunological suppression. This review highlights studies focusing on the immunomodulatory effects of TCMs, describing their stimulatory effect on immune cells, immune organs, cytokine production, tumorigenesis, as well as their inhibitory function on inflammation, allergy, autoimmune disease, and graft rejection. Components of both innate and adaptive immunity may be modulated by specific TCMs. TCMs may also have antitumor effects and may play a role in regulating apoptosis. Immunomodulatory effects of TCMs may lead to new medications to treat allergic and autoimmune diseases. More high quality studies are needed to achieve scientific validity to these potential treatments. Evidence presented in this review reveals the role of TCMs in immune regulation and proposes a promising future for them in immunomodulatory therapies.

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Acknowledgments

This study was supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program-2010CB945300), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (30972738, 31021061), and the Hundred Talents Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Liver Immunology Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China

    Hong-Di Ma, Yan-Ru Deng & Zhe-Xiong Lian

  2. Institute of Immunology and School of Life Sciences, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, 230027, China

    Hong-Di Ma, Yan-Ru Deng, Zhigang Tian & Zhe-Xiong Lian

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Ma, HD., Deng, YR., Tian, Z. et al. Traditional Chinese Medicine and Immune Regulation. Clinic Rev Allerg Immunol 44, 229–241 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12016-012-8332-0

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