Can TCM help improve psoriasis vulgaris symptoms?

In this article, researchers from China, Macau, and the U.S. discussed the pathogenesis of psoriasis and the clinical therapeutic principles used in modern medicine and in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This review was published in the journal Chinese Medicine.

• Psoriasis is a chronic, painful, and disfiguring non-contagious skin disease. It affects at least 200 million people worldwide. However, the mechanisms underlying psoriasis are not well-understood.
• Patients with mild to moderate psoriasis are usually treated with modern drugs or Chinese medicine, while those with severe psoriasis are prescribed targeting systemic biological drugs that are efficient but expensive.
• According to data from the China Food and Drug Administration, most chemical drugs come in the form of topical formulations.
• Meanwhile, Chinese medicines are taken orally, which suggests that the market for topical preparations of Chinese medicines to treat psoriasis is worth exploring.
• Chinese medicine employs a unique clinical therapeutic theory for the treatment of psoriasis and has been successful in terms of clinical application.

The researchers believe that the development of new drugs based on Chinese medicine is a promising strategy to reduce the cost of modern treatments and improve drug safety for patients with psoriasis.

Read the full article at this link.

Journal Reference:

Meng S, Lin Z, Wang Y, Wang Z, Li P, Zheng Y. PSORIASIS THERAPY BY CHINESE MEDICINE AND MODERN AGENTS. Chinese Medicine. 23 March 2018;13(1). DOI: 10.1186/s13020-018-0174-0