Research Progress on the Diagnosis and Treatment of Intestinal Fibrosis in Crohn's Disease with Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine

Despite the current absence of clinically approved antifibrotic drugs, this review synthesizes critical advances in mechanistic understanding and emerging therapeutic strategies. We highlight the urgent unmet clinical need and propose integrative medicine as a promising paradigm shift for fibrosis management. While no therapies yet fully reverse established fibrosis, this review provides three key contributions: Systematically maps molecular pathways from inflammation to fibrosis, identifies knowledge gaps in TCM translational research, and proposes a "control-prevent-reverse" framework for future drug development. These insights are timely given the rising CD prevalence in China and increasing NIH funding for antifibrotic research.