Uridine plays a major role as a key biomolecule in health maintenance and disease treatment. Here, we comb and summarize a large amount of data on the important role of uridine in health, disease and treatment in the past 30 years, conduct a comprehensive and in-depth discussion, and give unique insights and overview on the current situation and difficulties of the application of uridine in disease treatment. The review aims to provide new perspectives and implications for uridine research and to promote further application of uridine in the medical field.