Zhang J, Hu K, Di L, Wang P, Liu Z, Zhang J, Yue P, Song W, Zhang J, Chen T, Wang Z, Zhang Y, Wang X, Zhan C, Cheng YC, Li X, Li Q, Fan JY, Shen Y, Han JY, Qiao H. Traditional herbal medicine and nanomedicine: Converging disciplines to improve therapeutic efficacy and human health.
Adv Drug Deliv Rev 2021;
178:113964. [PMID:
34499982 DOI:
10.1016/j.addr.2021.113964]
[Citation(s) in RCA: 47] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2021] [Revised: 08/28/2021] [Accepted: 09/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
Traditional herbal medicine (THM), an ancient science, is a gift from nature. For thousands of years, it has helped humans fight diseases and protect life, health, and reproduction. Nanomedicine, a newer discipline has evolved from exploitation of the unique nanoscale morphology and is widely used in diagnosis, imaging, drug delivery, and other biomedical fields. Although THM and nanomedicine differ greatly in time span and discipline dimensions, they are closely related and are even evolving toward integration and convergence. This review begins with the history and latest research progress of THM and nanomedicine, expounding their respective developmental trajectory. It then discusses the overlapping connectivity and relevance of the two fields, including nanoaggregates generated in herbal medicine decoctions, the application of nanotechnology in the delivery and treatment of natural active ingredients, and the influence of physiological regulatory capability of THM on the in vivo fate of nanoparticles. Finally, future development trends, challenges, and research directions are discussed.
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