REVIEW article
Front. Pharmacol.
Sec. Ethnopharmacology
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fphar.2025.1592458
This article is part of the Research TopicPrevention and Treatment of Infectious Diseases by Herbal MedicineView all 12 articles
Exploring the Pathogenesis of Acute Lung Injury and Its Treatment Through Traditional Chinese Medicine：A State-of-the-Art Review
Provisionally accepted
- 1Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- 2Clinical Pharmacokinetic Laboratory, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
- 3Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, Beijing Municipality, China
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Acute Lung Injury (ALI) is a severe and progressive condition characterized by hypoxic respiratory failure, often triggered by multiple contributing factors. It is associated with high morbidity and mortality rates and can advance to Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome (ARDS) in severe cases. The pathogenesis of ALI involves a complex interplay of pathological mechanisms, including immune-inflammatory responses, disruption of the alveolar-capillary barrier, damage to mesenchymal stem cell organelles, metabolic dysregulation, ferroptosis, and alterations in gut microbiota. From the perspective of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the development of ALI is primarily attributed to the invasion of toxic pathogens, which result in lung dysfunction. TCM treatment strategies, which emphasize heat-clearing, detoxification, promoting blood circulation, and resolving stasis, have demonstrated promising clinical efficacy. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the pathogenesis of ALI and explores the therapeutic mechanisms of TCM compounds and bioactive monomers with potential therapeutic benefits. The goal is to establish a solid theoretical foundation for the clinical application of TCM in ALI treatment and to further validate its scientific rationale.
Keywords: Acute Lung Injury, Pathogenesis, Treatment, Traditional Chinese Medicine, bioactive compounds
Received: 12 Mar 2025; Accepted: 07 Jul 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Yan, Zhang, Wang, Jiao, Zhu, Tan and Yang. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Bo Tan, Clinical Pharmacokinetic Laboratory, Shuguang Hospital, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
Aidong Yang, Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.