Recently, the 4th Traditional Chinese Medicine Anti-Aging Conference, sponsored by the World Federation of Chinese Medicine Society, China Anti-Aging Promotion Association, and China Over-the-Counter Drug Association, was held in Wuzhen, Zhejiang. At the meeting, Ni Chunhui from Nanjing Medical University gave an academic report on "Research on Chinese Medicine to Intervent Pulmonary Fibrosis through Resistance to Pulmonary Aging".

Ni Chunhui from Nanjing Medical University delivered an academic report at the 4th Traditional Chinese Medicine Anti-Aging Conference

Ni Chunhui said that it is expected that by 2030, the proportion of my country's population aged 60 and above will reach 25%. As the global population aging trend in intensifies, research on aging-related diseases has attracted increasing attention. Aging is a degenerative process caused by the accumulation of internal and external injuries, leading to cellular dysfunction and changes in tissue responses, which in turn lead to a variety of diseases. As a chronic lung disease, pulmonary fibrosis is closely related to aging. Its pathogenesis is complex and involves abnormal regulation of various cellular and molecular pathways. In recent years, traditional Chinese medicine has shown unique potential in anti-aging and pulmonary fibrosis treatment, especially the research on compound preparations such as Bazi Bushen Capsules has attracted much attention.

Ni Chunhui emphasized that aging is characterized by cell cycle arrest and activation of aging-related secretory phenotype (SASP). Studies have shown that after the accumulation of senescent cells exceeds the threshold, it will promote the occurrence of multiple age-related diseases. In the lungs, the increase in senescent cells (such as epithelial cells, endothelial cells and fibroblasts) is closely related to the occurrence and development of pulmonary fibrosis. For example, in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), the expression of the aging markers p16 and p21 is significantly increased, and senescent cells accelerate the fibrosis process by secreting inflammatory factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins. Animal experiments have also confirmed that clearing senescent cells can alleviate symptoms of pulmonary fibrosis.

In response to pulmonary fibrosis, Professor Ni Chunhui's team found through in vivo and in vivo experiments that Bazi Bushen Capsules can significantly reduce the mRNA level of marker genes related to aging (col1α1 and cdkn1α) in endothelial cells of lung tissue (about 68% and 23% respectively), inhibit pulmonary fibrosis-related lesions, reduce common pathological changes such as lung damage and collagen deposition during lung fibrosis, and reduce the expression of α-SMA that can lead to tissue scar formation and decreased lung function by about 77%, thereby reducing the aging of endothelial cells in lung tissue and interfering with pulmonary fibrosis induced by silica. She said that the research team has published a number of research results in international journals, confirming the potential of Bazi Bushen Capsules in the treatment of pulmonary fibrosis.

Ni Chunhui pointed out that aging is an important driving factor for pulmonary fibrosis, and Chinese medicine intervention targeting senescent cells provides new ideas for treatment. Bazi Bushen Capsule has shown significant anti-aging and anti-fibrotic effects through the effects of multiple targets and multiple pathways, laying a scientific foundation for the development of new anti-pulmonary fibrosis drugs.

[Editor in charge: Li Chen]