Acupuncture effects and neuro-immune regulation: a breakthrough in “treating diseases at the root”

The holistic philosophy of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) embodied in acupuncture therapy has gained novel insights within the neuroimmune regulatory framework. Its mechanistic framework encompasses 3 pivotal dimensions: 1) Acupuncture stimulation at acupoints transduces mechanical signals into neuroelectrical and biochemical signals, initiating localized immunomodulatory microenvironment remodeling; 2) The autonomic nervous system orchestrates systemic and organ-specific immune homeostasis through vagus nerve-mediated anti-inflammatory effects and sympathetic nerve-mediated bidirectional regulatory dynamics; 3) The enteric nervous system facilitates barrier restoration via neuropeptide-microbiota crosstalk, establishing bidirectional gut-brain axis immune communication. Emerging bioelectronic devices based on somatosensory-autonomic reflex circuits are driving the evolution of acupuncture from empirical practice to precision neuromodulation. Future research should integrate multi-omics profiling and artificial intelligence algorithms to construct a comprehensive “mechanical stimulation – neural coding – immune response” mapping paradigm. This will operationalize TCM’s core principle of “treating the root of disease” into targeted neuromodulation strategies against inflammatory and immune-related disorders through defined neural circuit interventions.