Lv Shimeng, Kong Linghui, Zhong Xia, Shang Ruirui, Lu Yitong, Zhang Guangheng, Gao Haonan, Hou Xin, Li Guoqiang, Yu Xiaowen
First Clinical Medical College, Shandong University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jinan, China.
Institute of Child and Adolescent Health, School of Public Health, Peking University, Beijing, China.
Front Immunol. 2025 Aug 27;16:1642001. doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2025.1642001. eCollection 2025.
Depression is a major global public health issue, yet key bottlenecks remain in understanding its pathophysiological mechanisms, which significantly hinder breakthroughs in precision treatment strategies. Recent studies have highlighted the neuroimmune system as a primary pathogenic contributor to the onset and progression of depression. Meanwhile, natural products, characterized by multi-component synergy, multi-target activity, and multi-pathway regulation, have shown significant potential in regulating neuroimmunity. However, a systematic review of the role of neuroimmunity in the pathological process of depression and the therapeutic effects of natural products is still lacking. This review aims to comprehensively elucidate the core role of neuroimmunity in the pathological mechanisms of depression through literature analysis, explore in depth the molecular mechanisms and targets involved in natural product interventions, and critically evaluate the limitations and current challenges in clinical translation. Ultimately, this review provides a solid theoretical foundation and guidance for future research and the development of precision antidepressant therapies based on natural products.
抑郁症是一个重大的全球公共卫生问题，但在理解其病理生理机制方面仍存在关键瓶颈，这严重阻碍了精准治疗策略的突破。最近的研究强调神经免疫系统是抑郁症发病和进展的主要致病因素。与此同时，天然产物具有多成分协同、多靶点活性和多途径调节的特点，在调节神经免疫方面显示出巨大潜力。然而，目前仍缺乏对神经免疫在抑郁症病理过程中的作用以及天然产物治疗效果的系统综述。本综述旨在通过文献分析全面阐明神经免疫在抑郁症病理机制中的核心作用，深入探讨天然产物干预所涉及的分子机制和靶点，并批判性地评估临床转化中的局限性和当前挑战。最终，本综述为未来基于天然产物的精准抗抑郁治疗的研究和开发提供坚实的理论基础和指导。
