Immunology and Chinese Herbal Medicine

By Pi Kwang Tsung, Ph.D. & Hong-Yen Hsu, Ph.D.

Since it is characteristic of Chinese herbal medicine not merely to cure a disease but also to restore the normal functions of the body in order to strengthen the patient’s resistance, reevaluation of Chinese herbal medicines could lead to the discovery of new treatments for many diseases. The search for drugs capable of stimulating or modulating our immune systems is worldwide and comprises activities in a variety of research disciplines. A great many specific immunological in vitro and in vivo test systems, which allow constituents to be selected and screened for potentially immunological activities, are available today. Immunology and Chinese Herbal Medicine explores some of the ways in which these newly-discovered immunopolysaccharides actually function in Chinese herbs and herbal formulas.

(Paperback, 22 pgs.)