Zhou Fanchao, Li Guoming, Tan Ruixiang, Wu Guodong, Deng Changsheng
Artemisinin Research Center, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, China.
Nanchang Health Vocational And Technical College, Nanchang, China.
Br J Pharmacol. 2025 Aug;182(15):3411-3427. doi: 10.1111/bph.70086. Epub 2025 Jun 5.
Autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) result from immune self-tolerance loss, causing tissue damage. Standard treatments targeting late-stage inflammation often have serious side effects. Artemisinin, known for its antimalarial properties, shows potential immunomodulatory effects. This review examines artemisinin's application in SLE and RA, emphasizing its therapeutic potential and mechanism insights. From 2014 to 2024, we searched PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar using keywords 'artemisinins', 'SLE', and 'RA'. Artemisinins modulate immune pathways (PI3K/Akt, HIF-1α/NF-κB, Nrf2/HO-1, p62/Nrf2), balance Th17/Treg cells and M1/M2 macrophages, inhibit ROS production, and suppress B-cells, fibroblast-like synoviocytes, and osteoclasts, affecting SLE/RA progression. Structure-activity relationship analysis indicates that the effects of artemisinin are mainly due to their endoperoxide bridge and sesquiterpene lactone structures. This review highlights artemisinin's potential for treating various autoimmune diseases and aiding drug development.
系统性红斑狼疮（SLE）和类风湿性关节炎（RA）等自身免疫性疾病是由免疫自我耐受丧失引起的，会导致组织损伤。针对晚期炎症的标准治疗通常有严重的副作用。青蒿素以其抗疟特性而闻名，显示出潜在的免疫调节作用。本综述探讨了青蒿素在SLE和RA中的应用，强调了其治疗潜力和对作用机制的见解。2014年至2024年，我们使用关键词“青蒿素”、“SLE”和“RA”在PubMed、科学网和谷歌学术上进行了检索。青蒿素可调节免疫途径（PI3K/Akt、HIF-1α/NF-κB、Nrf2/HO-1、p62/Nrf2），平衡Th17/Treg细胞和M1/M2巨噬细胞，抑制活性氧生成，并抑制B细胞、成纤维样滑膜细胞和破骨细胞，从而影响SLE/RA的进展。构效关系分析表明，青蒿素的作用主要归因于其过氧桥和倍半萜内酯结构。本综述强调了青蒿素在治疗各种自身免疫性疾病及辅助药物开发方面的潜力。
