Nikhil Prasad Fact checked by:Thailand Medical News Team Dec 13, 2025 1 hour, 59 minutes ago
Medical News: Ancient Practice Meets Modern Science
Influenza A remains one of the world’s most dangerous seasonal viruses, capable of causing severe lung inflammation, hospitalizations, and deaths, especially among the elderly and those with weaker immunity. While vaccines and antiviral drugs exist, they do not always work well for everyone and often need repeated use. Now, a new study from China has taken a closer look at an age-old traditional practice and found surprising scientific evidence behind it.
Short-term exposure to traditional moxa smoke was found to reduce influenza virus activity and lung inflammation
in laboratory studies
Researchers from the State Key Laboratory of Traditional Chinese Medicine Syndrome at the Second Affiliated Hospital of Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine in Guangdong explored whether moxa smoke, produced by burning dried Artemisia argyi leaves, could help reduce influenza severity. Their findings suggest that short-term exposure may reduce lung inflammation and viral burden in influenza A infection.
What Exactly Is Moxa Smoke
Moxa smoke has been used for centuries in Traditional Chinese Medicine to prevent respiratory illnesses. Unlike oral herbal remedies, it works through inhalation. Until now, most studies focused on its chemical components rather than how it actually affects viral infections inside the body. This new research bridges that gap using both computer modeling and live animal experiments.
How the Study Was Conducted
The research team used mice infected with the H1N1 influenza A virus, a strain known to cause severe lung inflammation. The mice were exposed to carefully controlled low and high concentrations of moxa smoke for four days. Using advanced laboratory tools, the scientists measured viral levels, immune cell activity, inflammatory chemicals, and lung tissue damage.
Through network pharmacology analysis, they identified more than 50 active compounds in moxa smoke that interact with hundreds of proteins involved in viral infection and immune response. Key targets included proteins such as PPARγ and STAT3, which play major roles in inflammation control.
Key Findings Explained Simply
Mice exposed to moxa smoke showed fewer inflammatory cells in their lungs, especially harmful neutrophils that can worsen lung injury. Levels of inflammatory substances such as IL-6, IL-1β, and TNF-α were significantly reduced. At the same time, viral nucleoprotein levels dropped, meaning the virus itself was less active.
Importantly, the smoke increased activity of PPARγ, a protective protein that calms excessive immune reactions, while reducing activation of STAT3, which is linked to damaging inflammation. This
Medical News report highlights that moxa smoke appeared to reduce lung damage without harming liver or kidney function during short-term exposure.
Safety Matters Too
The study also examined safety. Sh
ort-term exposure caused no measurable harm to lungs, liver, or kidneys. However, prolonged exposure over four weeks led to early signs of lung and kidney stress in mice. This suggests that while short, controlled use may be beneficial, long-term or excessive exposure could be harmful.
What This Means for the Future
These findings do not suggest people should inhale smoke at home as a flu treatment. Instead, they open the door to further research into safer delivery methods or isolated compounds from moxa smoke that could be developed into new therapies. The study also reinforces how traditional medicine practices can inspire modern drug discovery when studied scientifically.
Why This Research Is Important
Influenza continues to strain healthcare systems worldwide, and drug resistance is an increasing concern. By showing that moxa smoke can both lower viral load and calm damaging inflammation through multiple biological pathways, this study offers a fresh perspective on complementary approaches to influenza treatment.
Final Thoughts
In conclusion, this research demonstrates that short-term moxa smoke exposure significantly reduced influenza-related lung inflammation and viral activity in animal models through well-defined biological mechanisms. While it is not a replacement for vaccines or antivirals, it provides valuable insight into how traditional practices may contribute to future therapeutic strategies. Careful dosing, controlled exposure, and further human studies will be essential before any clinical use is considered.
The study findings were published in the peer reviewed journal: PLOS One
https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0337906
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