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Myelodysplastic syndrome is a group of blood disorders caused by poorly formed or dysfunctional blood cells. Managing lower-risk forms of the condition remains challenging, and there is growing interest in whether integrating traditional Chinese medicine with conventional treatment could improve patient outcomes and immune function.
This randomised controlled trial enrolled 60 patients with newly diagnosed lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome at a hospital in Shanghai between 2022 and 2023. Participants were divided into two groups: 40 received standard Western medical therapy alongside oral Fufang Zaofan Pills, while 20 received standard Western medical therapy alone. Researchers compared objective response rates, traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores, and levels of peripheral blood dendritic cells — immune cells thought to play a role in the disease — before and after treatment.
Patients with lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome had noticeably higher dendritic cell levels at the start of the study compared to healthy individuals. After treatment, the integrated group achieved an objective response rate of 47.5%, significantly higher than the 20% seen in the Western medicine only group. Traditional Chinese medicine syndrome scores also improved more substantially in the integrated group (80% versus 60% total effective rate). Dendritic cell counts and related measures changed significantly in the integrated group, suggesting an immunomodulatory effect.
Conclusion: Adding Fufang Zaofan Pills to standard care appeared to improve clinical outcomes and modulate immune markers in lower-risk myelodysplastic syndrome, though the authors note these are preliminary findings warranting further investigation.
Source: Zhang FF, Gao XY, Jiang LL et al. Journal of molecular histology (2026). View on PubMed (PMID 42156596) · doi:10.1146/annurev-immunol-101819-025146