Fan Xudong, Xu Jiangxin, Gao Jinlong, Zhang Jie, Wang Yu, Shan Yanni, Luo Jingming, Fei Weidong, Cai Xinjun
Department of Pharmacy, Zhejiang Hospital of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Hangzhou, China.
School of Pharmacy, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou, China.
Front Cell Dev Biol. 2025 Jul 18;13:1598924. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2025.1598924. eCollection 2025.
Pulmonary fibrosis (PF) is a progressive interstitial lung disease marked by the excessive buildup of fibrous connective tissue, leading to permanent damage to respiratory function due to irreversible changes in lung structure. Despite significant progress in understanding its underlying mechanisms, translating this knowledge into effective prevention or treatment remains a major clinical challenge. Ferroptosis, a form of controlled cellular demise triggered by iron, involves the accumulation of lipid peroxides, resulting in irreversible membrane disintegration and oxidative metabolic failure. Emerging studies suggest that ferroptosis exacerbates PF progression by promoting macrophage polarization, fibroblast proliferation, and extracellular matrix deposition, ultimately leading to alveolar epithelial cell death and fibrotic tissue remodeling. Consequently, targeting ferroptosis presents a promising therapeutic approach, with traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) showing particular potential through its multi-dimensional and holistic mechanisms. TCM compounds, extracts, and bioactive monomers exhibit anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and multi-target properties that demonstrate significant value in managing PF. To develop innovative therapeutic strategies for PF, this review synthesizes recent progress in elucidating ferroptosis pathways implicated in the pathogenesis of PF and underscores the therapeutic potential of TCM in PF management via ferroptosis inhibition. Moreover, this paper highlights the advantages of integrating nanotechnology with TCM for regulating ferroptosis in PF treatment. In general, this paper will provide new perspectives for advancing research and clinical applications of TCM in the treatment of PF.
肺纤维化（PF）是一种进行性间质性肺疾病，其特征是纤维结缔组织过度积聚，由于肺结构的不可逆变化导致呼吸功能永久性损害。尽管在理解其潜在机制方面取得了重大进展，但将这些知识转化为有效的预防或治疗方法仍然是一项重大的临床挑战。铁死亡是一种由铁引发的可控细胞死亡形式，涉及脂质过氧化物的积累，导致不可逆的膜解体和氧化代谢衰竭。新兴研究表明，铁死亡通过促进巨噬细胞极化、成纤维细胞增殖和细胞外基质沉积来加剧PF的进展，最终导致肺泡上皮细胞死亡和纤维化组织重塑。因此，针对铁死亡提出了一种有前景的治疗方法，传统中药（TCM）通过其多维和整体机制显示出特别的潜力。中药化合物、提取物和生物活性单体具有抗炎、抗氧化和多靶点特性，在管理PF方面具有显著价值。为了开发针对PF的创新治疗策略，本综述综合了阐明PF发病机制中涉及的铁死亡途径的最新进展，并强调了中药通过抑制铁死亡在PF管理中的治疗潜力。此外，本文强调了将纳米技术与中药相结合在PF治疗中调节铁死亡的优势。总的来说，本文将为推进中药在PF治疗中的研究和临床应用提供新的视角。
