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.

免疫稳态（Immune homeostasis）指机体免疫系统在激活与抑制之间维持的动态平衡，使其既能抵御病原体侵袭，又可避免自身组织受到损伤。固有免疫系统（innate immune system）可提供快速且非特异性的防御，而适应性免疫系统（adaptive immune system）则能提供特异性且持久的保护作用。针灸可通过调控固有免疫与适应性免疫，实现免疫激活与免疫抑制之间的双向调节。其作用机制主要涉及激活神经内分泌-免疫（neuroendocrine-immune, NEI）网络，协调三大系统间的复杂相互作用，以维持免疫稳态。从中医药（traditional Chinese medicine）的阴阳平衡理论视角来看，针灸可调节免疫激活（Yang）与免疫抑制（Yin）之间的动态平衡，契合阴阳对立互根的基本规律，这也有效阐释了针灸在调控免疫稳态中的双向作用。基于上述内容，本文系统介绍了针灸在免疫相关疾病治疗中的应用，总结了其作用机制的研究进展，并结合中医药阴阳理论，阐明针灸调控免疫稳态的具体机制，探讨中医药理论在现代医学中的应用价值。