[Research progress on traditional Chinese medicine in treatment of neurodegenerative diseases by delaying neurovascular unit aging]

Neurodegenerative diseases are a collective term for a large group of diseases caused by degenerative changes in nerve cells. Aging is the main risk factor for neurodegenerative diseases. The neurovascular unit(NVU) is the smallest functional unit of the brain, which regulates brain blood flow and maintains brain homeostasis. Accelerated aging of NVU cells directly impairs NVU function and leads to the occurrence of various neurodegenerative diseases. The intrinsic mechanisms of NVU cell aging are complex and involve oxidative stress damage, loss of protein homeostasis, DNA damage, mitochondrial dysfunction, immune inflammatory response, and impaired cellular autophagy. In recent years, studies have found that traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) can inhibit NVU aging through multiple pathways and targets, exerting a brain-protective effect. Therefore, this article aimed to provide a theoretical basis for further research on TCM inhibition of NVU cell aging and references for new drug development and clinical applications by reviewing its mechanisms of anti-aging, such as regulating relevant proteins, improving mitochondrial dysfunction, reducing DNA damage, lowering inflammatory response, antioxidant stress, and modulating cellular autophagy.