Chinese Journal of Tissue Engineering Research ›› 2026, Vol. 30 ›› Issue (17): 4417-4429.doi: 10.12307/2026.104

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Application and molecular mechanism of extracorporeal shock wave for anti-fibrosis

Huang Sijing1, Cui Rui2, Geng Longyu1, Gao Beiyao2, Ge Ruidong2, Jiang Shan2   

  1. 1School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China; 2Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
  • Received:2025-03-21 Accepted:2025-06-26 Online:2026-06-18 Published:2025-12-02
  • Contact: Ge Ruidong, PhD, Associate chief therapist, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China Co-corresponding author: Jiang Shan, Chief physician, Associate professor, Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, China-Japan Friendship Hospital, Beijing 100029, China
  • About author:Huang Sijing, MS candidate, School of Sports Medicine and Rehabilitation, Beijing Sport University, Beijing 100084, China
  • Supported by:
    the National High-Level Hospital Clinical Research Funding, Nos. 2023-NHLHCRF-YYPPLC-TJ-19 (to GRD) and 2023-NHLHCRF-YSPY-01 (to JS); National Key Research and Development Program of China, Nos. 2022YFC2009700 and 2022YFC2009706 (both to JS)

Abstract: BACKGROUND: Existing studies have shown that extracorporeal shock wave intervention can effectively inhibit the formation of tissue fibrosis. However, there are limited experimental studies and summaries regarding the anti-fibrotic effects of extracorporeal shock wave, and no comprehensive review of the associated signaling pathways has been conducted.
OBJECTIVE: To review current clinical or preclinical primary studies and summarize the applications of extracorporeal shock wave in fibrotic tissues and the relevant molecular mechanisms, thereby providing novel insights for the clinical treatment of fibrotic diseases.
METHODS: The relevant literatures in PubMed, Web of Science, CNKI, WanFang and VIP databases were searched. The search time was from January 2014 to September 2024, and the search terms were “extracorporeal shockwave therapy, shock wave therapy, shock wave, fibrosis, fibroses” in English and “shock wave, extracorporeal shockwave therapy, fibrosis, anti-fibrosis” in Chinese. A combination of subject headings and free terms was used for the search. After screening and excluding studies based on predefined inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 67 articles were ultimately included for review and analysis.
RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: (1) Extracorporeal shock wave intervention is beneficial for various fibrosis-related diseases, including scars, musculoskeletal disorders, and organ diseases. It can effectively reduce the degree of tissue fibrosis and improve clinical symptoms in patients. (2) Extracorporeal shock wave mainly influences the expression of fibrosis-related cytokines and extracellular matrix composition by modulating signaling pathways such as transforming growth factor-β1, mitogen-activated protein kinases, vascular endothelial growth factor, and inflammatory signaling pathways, thereby inhibiting excessive fibrosis formation. (3) The current review identifies a limited number of clinical studies with insufficient data to support robust conclusions. Additionally, due to the singularity of experimental results and significant differences in intervention subjects and extracorporeal shock wave intervention protocols across studies, there may be an impact on the clarification of the specific dose-response mechanisms and the overall molecular action system of extracorporeal shock wave in anti-fibrosis. To conclude, extracorporeal shock wave may serve as an effective therapeutic approach for the clinical treatment of fibrosis-related diseases in the future.


Key words: extracorporeal shock wave, shock wave, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, anti-fibrosis, fibrosis, molecular mechanisms, rehabilitation therapy, review

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