Acupuncture in Regulating Immune Homeostasis: From Function to Mechanism

Immune homeostasis refers to the dynamic balance maintained by the body's immune system between activation and inhibition, allowing it to defend against pathogens while preventing damage to its own tissues. The innate immune system provides rapid and non-specific defense, whereas the adaptive immune system offers specific and long-lasting protection. Acupuncture achieves bidirectional regulation between immune activation and inhibition by modulating both innate and adaptive immunity. Its mechanisms primarily involve activating the neuroendocrine-immune (NEI) network, coordinating complex interactions among these three systems to maintain immune homeostasis. From the perspective of the yin-yang balance theory in traditional Chinese medicine, acupuncture regulates the dynamic balance between immune activation (Yang) and inhibition (Yin), reflecting the principles of Yin-Yang opposition and interdependence. This effectively explains its bidirectional role in regulating immune homeostasis. Based on this, this article systematically introduces the application of acupuncture in the treatment of immune-related diseases, summarizes the research progress on its mechanisms of action, and, in combination with the yin-yang theory of traditional Chinese medicine, elucidates the mechanisms by which acupuncture regulates immune homeostasis, exploring the application value of traditional Chinese medicine theories in modern medicine.