The Role of Chronic Inflammation in Various Diseases and Anti-inflammatory Therapies Containing Natural Products

ChemMedChem. 2021 May 18;16(10):1576-1592. doi: 10.1002/cmdc.202000996. Epub 2021 Mar 7.

Abstract

Chronic inflammation represents a long-term reaction of the body's immune system to noxious stimuli. Such a sustained inflammatory response sometimes results in lasting damage to healthy tissues and organs. In fact, chronic inflammation is implicated in the development and progression of various diseases, including cardiovascular diseases, respiratory diseases, metabolic diseases, neurodegenerative diseases, and even cancers. Targeting nonresolving inflammation thus provides new opportunities for treating relevant diseases. In this review, we will go over several chronic inflammation-associated diseases first with emphasis on the role of inflammation in their pathogenesis. Then, we will summarize a number of natural products that exhibit therapeutic effects against those diseases by acting on different markers in the inflammatory response. We envision that natural products will remain a rich resource for the discovery of new drugs treating diseases associated with chronic inflammation.

Keywords: anti-inflammatory therapy; chronic inflammation; natural products; traditional Chinese medicine.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / chemistry
  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Biological Products / chemistry
  • Biological Products / therapeutic use*
  • Cardiovascular Diseases / drug therapy
  • Chronic Disease
  • Humans
  • Inflammation / drug therapy*
  • Metabolic Diseases / drug therapy
  • Neoplasms / drug therapy*
  • Neurodegenerative Diseases / drug therapy
  • Respiration Disorders / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Inflammatory Agents
  • Biological Products