A team of Chinese scientists has revealed the molecular tricks behind the ancient formula Buyang Huanwu Decoction (BYHWD) and how it dramatically protects the brain after a stroke. In a recent proteomics‑driven study, mice treated with BYHWD showed a drop in the size of the damaged brain area from 27.5% down to just 8.5% compared with untreated controls. The researchers discovered that the decoction simultaneously tampers down two runaway systems that normally worsen stroke injury: the complement immune pathway and the blood‑clotting cascade. By blocking key proteins such as C3, F12 and F11a, BYHWD stops a vicious “complement‑kinin‑coagulation” feedback loop, preventing micro‑thrombus formation and excessive inflammation without impairing normal clotting. Blood tests confirmed that the drug lengthened clotting time back toward normal levels, indicating a low risk of bleeding. The findings give modern scientific backing to the centuries‑old claim that BYHWD promotes “peripheral‑central” circulation, offering a single‑compound, multi‑target approach to stroke therapy. The study, published in *Phytomedicine*, paves the way for new, safer treatments that blend traditional Chinese medicine with cutting‑edge molecular insight.
Read moreResearchers at the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences Hematology Hospital have uncovered a novel way to raise platelet numbers in patients with immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). The study shows that the enzyme CD38, which is abundant on inflammatory (M1) macrophages, burns through a vital molecule called NAD+. This depletion pushes macrophages to attack platelets, worsening the disease. By giving patients nicotinamide mononucleotide (NMN), a safe NAD+ precursor, the team restored NAD+ levels, shifted macrophages toward a healing (M2) state, and reduced their platelet‑eating activity. In mouse models, both NMN and CD38‑blocking antibodies quickly lifted platelet counts without harming antibody‑producing cells or overall immunity. A small Phase I/II trial enrolled 25 steroid‑refractory ITP patients who took 450 mg of oral NMN twice daily for two weeks. Platelet counts rose dramatically within a week, and more than half of the participants maintained higher levels eight weeks later. Importantly, plasma cells and immunoglobulin levels stayed normal, confirming that NMN’s anti‑inflammatory effect does not suppress the immune system. The findings move from basic mechanism to a promising, non‑immunosuppressive therapy for ITP, and the full study appears in Nature Medicine.
Read more