Directorate of AYUSH, Health & Family Welfare Department, Govt of Delhi, New Delhi, India.
International Institute for Integrated Medicine, Kingston, United Kingdom.
Homeopathy. 2022 Feb;111(1):10-21. doi: 10.1055/s-0041-1732305. Epub 2021 Nov 19.
Signaling molecules such as cytokines and interleukins are key mediators for the immune response in responding to internal or external stimuli. Homeopathically prepared signaling molecules have been used therapeutically for about five decades. However, these types of products are not available in many countries and their usage by homoeopaths is also infrequent. The aim of this scoping review is to map the available pre-clinical and clinical data related to the therapeutic use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules.
We conducted a scoping review of clinical and pre-clinical studies of therapeutically used signaling molecules that have been prepared in accordance with an officially recognized homeopathic pharmacopoeia. Articles in peer-reviewed journals reporting original clinical or pre-clinical research of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules such as interleukins, cytokines, antibodies, growth factors, neuropeptides and hormones, were eligible. Non-English language papers were excluded, unless we were able to obtain an English translation. An appraisal of eligible studies took place by rating the direction of the outcomes on a five-point scale. The quality of the papers was not systematically assessed.
Twenty-eight eligible papers, reporting findings for four different manufacturers' products, were identified and reviewed. Seventeen papers reported pre-clinical studies, and 11 reported clinical studies (six experimental, five observational). A wide range of signaling molecules, as well as normal T-cell expressed specific nucleic acids, were used. A majority of the products (21 of 28) contained two or more signaling molecules. The most common clinical indications were psoriasis, vitiligo, rheumatoid arthritis, respiratory allergies, polycystic ovary syndrome, and herpes. The direction of the outcomes was positive in 26 papers and unclear in two papers.
This scoping review found that there is a body of evidence on the use of homeopathically prepared signaling molecules. From a homeopathy perspective, these substances appear to have therapeutic potential. Further steps to explore this potential are warranted.
信号分子，如细胞因子和白细胞介素，是对内外刺激作出免疫反应的关键介质。顺势疗法制备的信号分子已被用于治疗约五十年。然而，这些类型的产品在许多国家并不提供，顺势疗法制剂师也很少使用它们。本综述的目的是绘制与顺势疗法制备的信号分子治疗用途相关的现有临床前和临床数据图。
我们对按照官方认可的顺势疗法药典制备的治疗用信号分子的临床前和临床研究进行了范围综述。符合条件的文章是在同行评议期刊上发表的，报告了白细胞介素、细胞因子、抗体、生长因子、神经肽和激素等顺势疗法制备的信号分子的原始临床或临床前研究。未发表的非英语论文，如果我们能够获得英文翻译，则将被包括在内。对合格研究的评估是通过对五项量表上的结果方向进行评分来进行的。这些论文的质量没有系统地评估。
确定并审查了 28 篇符合条件的论文，这些论文报告了四个不同制造商产品的发现。17 篇论文报告了临床前研究，11 篇论文报告了临床研究（6 项实验，5 项观察性研究）。使用了广泛的信号分子，以及正常 T 细胞表达的特定核酸。大多数产品（28 个中的 21 个）包含两种或更多种信号分子。最常见的临床适应症是银屑病、白癜风、类风湿性关节炎、呼吸道过敏、多囊卵巢综合征和疱疹。26 篇论文的结果方向为阳性，2 篇论文的结果方向不明确。
本范围综述发现，有大量关于顺势疗法制备的信号分子使用的证据。从顺势疗法的角度来看，这些物质似乎具有治疗潜力。进一步探索这种潜力是有必要的。
