{
  "abstract": "Peidan Yang,1,2 Gangzhong Zhang,3 Liqun Wu,4 Chunfeng Xie,5 Qiang Xu2,6,71Guangdong Traditional Medical and Sports Injury Rehabilitation Research Institute, The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510317, People’s Republic of China; 2Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People’s Republic of China; 3Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Guangzhou Yuexiu District Orthopedics and Traumatology Rehabilitation Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510100, People’s Republic of China; 4Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Baiyun Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510470, People’s Republic of China; 5Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, 545000, People’s Republic of China; 6State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, The First Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People’s Republic of China; 7Guangdong Clinical Research Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People’s Republic of ChinaCorrespondence: Qiang Xu, Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People’s Republic of China, Email fjksg@163.comBackground: Rheumatoid arthritis remains a leading cause of irreversible joint disability worldwide. Triptolide and celastrol, major bioactive compounds derived from Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. (TwHF), have substantial therapeutic potential for rheumatoid arthritis. However, poor solubility, low oral bioavailability, narrow therapeutic windows, and dose-limiting systemic toxicity limit their clinical translation.Objective: This review integrates the anti-rheumatoid arthritis mechanisms of triptolide and celastrol with recent advances in nanodelivery systems to establish a mechanism-guided framework for nanocarrier design and clinical translation.Results: Triptolide and celastrol exert multifaceted anti-rheumatoid arthritis effects by inhibiting inflammatory signaling pathways, regulating macrophage polarization and T-cell homeostasis, suppressing fibroblast-like synoviocyte proliferation, and protecting bone and cartilage. Diverse nanodelivery platforms—including lipid-based, polymeric, inorganic, biomimetic, carrier-free, and hybrid systems—have substantially improved the bioavailability and lesion-targeting capability of triptolide and celastrol, achieving superior anti-inflammatory and joint-protective efficacy while minimizing systemic toxicity.Conclusion: Mechanism-guided nanodelivery may help translate triptolide and celastrol into safer, targeted rheumatoid arthritis therapies. Realizing this potential requires a shift from material-centric research toward application-oriented development supported by rigorous validation.Keywords: rheumatoid arthritis, mechanism-guided delivery, triptolide, celastrol, nanomedicine",
  "abstract_shown": true,
  "affiliations": [
    "Guangdong Traditional Medical and Sports Injury Rehabilitation Research Institute, The Affiliated Guangdong Second Provincial General Hospital of Jinan University, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510317, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of Rheumatology, The First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of Orthopedics and Traumatology, Guangzhou Yuexiu District Orthopedics and Traumatology Rehabilitation Hospital, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510100, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Baiyun Hospital of the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510470, People's Republic of China.",
    "Department of General Surgery, Liuzhou Traditional Chinese Medical Hospital, Liuzhou, Guangxi, 545000, People's Republic of China.",
    "State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome, The First Clinical Medical College of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People's Republic of China.",
    "Guangdong Clinical Research Academy of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou, Guangdong, 510405, People's Republic of China."
  ],
  "article_type": "review article",
  "arxiv": null,
  "author_total": 5,
  "authors": [
    {
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        0,
        1
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      "name": "Peidan Yang"
    },
    {
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        2
      ],
      "name": "Gangzhong Zhang"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        3
      ],
      "name": "Liqun Wu"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        4
      ],
      "name": "Chunfeng Xie",
      "orcid": "0000-0002-4509-2426"
    },
    {
      "affs": [
        1,
        5,
        6
      ],
      "name": "Qiang Xu",
      "orcid": "0000-0001-8510-6127"
    }
  ],
  "bibtex": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x5dtj9x3k3q7.bib",
  "cited_by": 0,
  "doi": "10.2147/ijn.s646722",
  "fulltext_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13715532",
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  "issns": [
    "1176-9114",
    "1178-2013"
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  "language": "eng",
  "licence": "CC-BY-NC",
  "licence_label": "CC BY-NC",
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    [
      "heading",
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  "pdf_url": "https://europepmc.org/articles/PMC13715532?pdf=render",
  "pmcid": "PMC13715532",
  "pmid": "42953758",
  "published": "2026-10-24",
  "publisher": "Dove Medical Press",
  "ris": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x5dtj9x3k3q7.ris",
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  "subjects": [
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      "field": "medicine",
      "origin": "openalex:2707|Natural Compounds in Disease Treatment",
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  "title": "Triptolide and Celastrol for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Mechanism-Guided Nanoarchitectonics for Delivery Strategies to Enhance Efficacy and Reduce Toxicity.",
  "title_text": "Triptolide and Celastrol for Rheumatoid Arthritis: Mechanism-Guided Nanoarchitectonics for Delivery Strategies to Enhance Efficacy and Reduce Toxicity.",
  "type": "peer-reviewed",
  "updated_at": "2026-11-01T12:22:48Z",
  "url": "https://research.draconitic.com/paper/6x5dtj9x3k3q7",
  "venue": "International journal of nanomedicine",
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}