Wang Chi, Ren Kaixiang, Yang Mei, Li Xiang, Li Ningxi, Li Peng, Yang Huang, Zhang Guangjian, Wei Xiaodan
Department of Thoracic Surgery, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China.
Key Laboratory of Enhanced Recovery After Surgery of Intergrated Chinese and Western Medicine, Administration of Traditional Chinese Medicine of Shaanxi Province, The First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiaotong University, Xi'an, 710061, People's Republic of China.
Int J Nanomedicine. 2025 May 20;20:6289-6315. doi: 10.2147/IJN.S518610. eCollection 2025.
Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), a time-honored practice rooted in natural therapeutics, has served as a cornerstone in safeguarding human health across millennia, aiding in disease mitigation and life vitality preservation. However, many TCM active ingredients suffer from poor solubility, low bioavailability, uncertain toxicity and weak targeting ability. Nanomedicine represents a modern scientific frontier, emerging from the precise engineering of unique nanoscale characteristics, with extensive applications encompassing targeted therapeutic delivery and diverse biomedical fields. Although TCM and nanomedicine diverge fundamentally in historical origins and disciplinary foundations, growing investigations demonstrate their synergistic potential. In this review, nanosized TCM has been revealed as an innovative therapeutic strategy with significant clinical value. Based on the biological activities and structural characteristics of TCM active ingredients, we classify them into two categories: natural nanostructured formulations for TCM and nano-drug delivery systems for TCM. A systematic and comprehensive analysis of preparations specific and functions to two classes of TCM nanomedicines is highlighted. Insights into the advantage of TCM nanomedicines are also introduced. Subsequently, the applications of TCM nanomedicines in the biomedical treatment, including anti-cancer, anti-inflammation and anti-bacterial are summarized. Finally, challenges and future research directions are emphasized, aiming to offer guidance for the modernization of TCM nanomedicines.
传统中医（TCM）是一种植根于自然疗法的历史悠久的医学实践，数千年来一直是保障人类健康的基石，有助于减轻疾病和保持生命活力。然而，许多中药活性成分存在溶解度低、生物利用度低、毒性不确定和靶向能力弱等问题。纳米医学是现代科学前沿领域，源于对独特纳米尺度特性的精确设计，广泛应用于靶向治疗递送及其他生物医学领域。尽管传统中医和纳米医学在历史渊源和学科基础上有根本差异，但越来越多的研究表明它们具有协同潜力。在本综述中，纳米中药已被揭示为一种具有重要临床价值的创新治疗策略。基于中药活性成分的生物活性和结构特征，我们将其分为两类：中药天然纳米结构制剂和中药纳米给药系统。重点对两类中药纳米药物的制剂特点和功能进行了系统全面的分析。还介绍了对中药纳米药物优势的见解。随后，总结了中药纳米药物在生物医学治疗中的应用，包括抗癌、抗炎和抗菌。最后，强调了挑战和未来研究方向，旨在为中药纳米药物的现代化提供指导。
