J Leukoc Biol. 2025 May 2:qiaf051. doi: 10.1093/jleuko/qiaf051. Online ahead of print.
ABSTRACT
Programmed cell death (PCD) is a common phenomenon in the development of organisms. It is an active and orderly mode of cell death determined by genes. PCD is usually classified into three different types according to the cell morphological changes, stimulus and biochemical pathways involved, namely apoptosis, programmed necrosis and autophagy. Chinese herbal extracts (CHEs), mainly obtained from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and their primary plants through the physicochemical extraction and separation process, are concentrated with one or more effective ingredients from the herbal materials. Recently, studies focused on the influence of TCM on PCD are increasing, involving the protection of nervous system and cardio-cerebrovascular system, the prevention of gastrointestinal and immune function damage, the treatment against tumors, etc. This review mainly focuses on the effects of CHEs on various types of PCD. In addition, the therapeutic approaches and prospects of CHEs are also discussed. Although there are promising clinical applications of CHEs, some challenges are still waiting to be overcome by further research for the wider use of CHEs in clinical practice.
PMID:40313183 | DOI:10.1093/jleuko/qiaf051