Novel use for old drugs: The emerging role of artemisinin and its derivatives in fibrosis

Artemisinin and its derivatives are a family of anti-malarial drugs with known clinical safety and efficacy. Apart from its anti-malarial effect, artemisinin has also been reported to show anti-cancer, anti-viral, anti-parasitosis, anti-inflammatory properties in vitro and in vivo. An increasing number of studies report that artemisinin can impact the fibrotic process through various ways, such as TGF-β, MAPK, Wnt/β-catenin, PI3K/AKT/mTRO, FRX and Notch signaling pathways, as well as regulation of BMP-7 and cell autophagy. Moreover, the anti-inflammatory properties of artemisinin also contribute to the anti-fibrotic process. The present review summarizes the related studies on artemisinin treatment in fibrosis and elucidates the underlying mechanisms. We believe that this review can explain the potential anti-fibrotic value of artemisinin, outlining its potential use in the development of a safe and effective therapeutic method to alleviate fibrosis in the future.