A classical herbal pill, a modern trial: early hope for ulcerative colitis

A herbal prescription written centuries ago has just faced a very modern test. At Dongfang Hospital in Beijing, researchers ran a randomised, double-blind pilot trial of a modified Wumei Pill — a classical Chinese formula — in people with active ulcerative colitis, the chronic bowel disease, alongside laboratory work in mice and human cells. Published in Scientific Reports, the trial found a clinical response in about 22 of 23 treated patients (95.65%), remission in about half, and visible healing of the bowel lining in 43.48%. Blood tests showed the treatment calmed the Th17 immune cells that drive the inflammation. The authors are clear about the limits: this was a small pilot, designed to show whether a bigger trial is worthwhile. On these numbers, it is.

SDG 3 · Good health and well-being — Mechanism: tech innovation