[Progress in research on mechanisms of anti-rheumatoid arthritis of triptolide]

Extracts of Tripterygium wilfordii are effective in traditional Chinese medicine for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Triptolide, a diterpenoid triepoxide purified from TWHF, has been identified as the major component of TWHF and might account for its therapeutic effects. To make for the clinical reasonable application and further development of triptolide, in this review was introduced the recent ten-years progress in mechanisms of anti-RA of it, including immunosuppression, anti-inflammation, inducing cell apoptosis, inhibiting vascular proliferation, protecting article cartilage and gene regulation. Triptolide is a potent immunosuppressant.