In China, the roots of the plant Thunder God Vine have been used medicinally for more than 400 years.  In a 2002 study funded by the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases (NIAMS), an extract of the root was shown to safely and effectively reduce pain and inflammation in a small group of people with treatment-resistant rheumatoid arthritis.

The Study

Twenty-one rheumatoid arthritis patients completed a 20-week clinical trial of the ethanol/ethyl acetate extract. Patients were randomly assigned to one of three treatment groups: placebo, low-dose extract, or high-dose extract. After four weeks, 80 percent of patients in the high-dose group and 40 percent in the low-dose group showed rapid improvement in symptoms compared with no improvement in the placebo group. Side effects were minor for all three treatment groups. The study concluded that results were quite promising and that longer term studies with larger numbers of patients are needed.

According to senior author Peter Lipsky, M.D., scientific director of NIAMS, the extract is a particularly promising treatment for rheumatoid arthritis. It is unique, because it slows down the overactive immune system, reduces inflammation by turning off inflammatory genes such as tumor necrosis factor alpha, and reduces the activity of B and T cells.

Other Autoimmune Disorders

Dr. Lipsky also noted that an extract of the roots of Thunder God Vine has the potential to treat other immune diseases such as lupus, and is planning further studies.

Preparations

Because the leaves and stems of Thunder God Vine are highly toxic, it is important that extracts of the root alone be used. The extraction process, although time-consuming, is critical because it transforms the otherwise toxic and deadly Thunder God Vine into a therapeutic treatment.

Tao X, Younger J, Fan F, Wang B, Lipsky P. Benefit of an extract of Tripterygium Wilfordii Hook F in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis & Rheumatism 2002;46(7):1735-43.