Tripterygium wilfordii

Tripterygium wilfordii (commonly known as Thunder God Vine or Lei Gong Teng) is a traditional Chinese medicinal herb belonging to the Celastraceae family. It has been widely used in China for centuries to treat inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, nephrotic syndrome, and psoriasis. The therapeutic effects of Tripterygium wilfordii are attributed to its rich array of bioactive secondary metabolites, most notably the diterpene triepoxide triptolide and the pentacyclic triterpenoid celastrol. Triptolide acts as a potent immunosuppressive and anti-inflammatory agent by covalently binding to and inhibiting the DNA-dependent ATPase activity of ERCC excision repair 3 (XPB), a subunit of the TFIIH transcription factor complex, thereby suppressing RNA polymerase II-mediated transcription. Celastrol exerts anti-inflammatory and cytoprotective effects by targeting peroxiredoxin-2 (PRDX2) and the nuclear receptor Nur77 (NR4A1), modulating the heat shock response, and inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. In addition to its established indications, Tripterygium wilfordii is being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of vocal cord leukoplakia.

Brand names

Tripterygium glycosides tabletLei gong tengThunder god vine

Other names

Lei Gong TengThunder God VineTripterygium glycosidesTripterygium wilfordii Hook. f.Tripterygium wilfordii extractTripterygium wilfordii glycosidesTripterygium wilfordii polyglycosideTripterygium wilfordii tablets