Progression of mechanism research and application of traditional Chinese medicine for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis in the treatment of scleroderma

Scleroderma is a complex, multiorgan, autoimmune disease that is characterized by the progressive fibrosis mainly involving the connective tissue of the skin and internal organs. Based on the traditional Chinese medicine, scleroderma belongs to the category of "Bi Zheng" with blood stasis symptom, which leads to a throughout treatment of promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis. However, Western medicine believes that scleroderma is excessive deposition of extracellular matrix (ECM) of connective tissue caused mainly by vasculopathy, abnormal collagen synthesis and autoimmune disorder. In recent years, an increasing number of researchers have found that some of traditional Chinese herbs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis can successfully improve the inflammation, fibrosis and vasculopathy in the animal models of scleroderma, and these herbs have been gradually applied to scleroderma patients. These results from animal trials accord with Western medicine's understanding of the pathogenesis of scleroderma and provide objective experimental evidence for application of traditional Chinese herbs for promoting blood circulation and removing blood stasis in the treatment of scleroderma.