A Review of Therapeutic Effects and the Pharmacological Molecular Mechanisms of Chinese Medicine Weifuchun in Treating Precancerous Gastric Conditions

Patients with precancerous gastric conditions are at a high risk for gastric carcinoma. The Chinese medicine Weifuchun (WFC) is used in treating chronic superficial gastritis and in postoperative adjuvant treatment of gastric cancer. Both monotherapy and combination therapy of WFC with other drugs can result in a favorable therapeutic outcome. WFC can dramatically improve clinical outcomes in patients with gastric precancerous lesions by targeting multiple pathways including pathways involved in the pharmacological action of Radix Ginseng Rubra (red ginseng), Rabdosia amethystoides, and fried Fructus Aurantii, including regulation of NF-κB, RUNX3/TGF-beta/Smad, Hedgehog (Hh) and Wnt signaling pathways, modulation of the expression of oncogenes and tumor suppressor genes, and indirect inhibition of Helicobacter pylori (Hp) by maintaining gastric microbial ecosystem. In this review, we will discuss the clinical efficacy and therapeutic regimen of WFC for gastric precancerous lesions and the molecular mechanisms involved. This review will highlight WFC-based therapeutic strategies in disrupting progress to gastric cancer and provide more information on the pharmacological mechanisms of WFC and its clinical application for the treatment of precancerous gastric lesions.