Exploration on the mechanism of TCM treatment for systemic sclerosis based on intestinal flora

Abstract

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is a rare chronic disease, it is characterized by immune dysregulation, vascular lesions, and skin and multi-organ fibrosis. The disease is difficult to cure and it is important to find safe and effective complementary therapies.TCM is one of the important complementary therapies of SSc, however, the specific mechanism of action is unclear. In recent years, studies on intestinal flora have provided new ideas for the pathogenesis and treatment of diseases. Intestinal flora has been shown to influence the function of the immune system and play an important role in the development of autoimmune diseases. Modifying intestinal flora disorders and regulating inflammation-associated cytokines may be the basic mechanism of action of TCM for disease treatment. This review combines SSc, intestinal flora, and TCM to explore the mechanism of TCM's therapeutic effect on SSc by regulating intestinal flora, to provide a reference for subsequent studies, and offer new ideas for clinical treatment.