Since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people have continued to experience lingering symptoms, a condition known as long COVID. Some of the most common issues include fatigue, brain fog, and breathing difficulties, making daily life challenging for many. As researchers work to understand and treat long COVID, interest in complementary and alternative medicine—such as herbal remedies—has grown. However, there is still limited scientific data on whether these treatments are truly effective or safe.

Researchers at the Ajou University School of Medicine took a high-tech approach to investigate how herbal medicines might impact long COVID symptoms. The researchers used single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq), a powerful tool that allows scientists to study gene activity in individual cells, to analyze blood samples from participants before and after taking herbal medicines. This method provides a detailed look at how different types of immune cells respond to treatment, offering insights into whether these herbal remedies can help manage long COVID.

Workflow of the study

Data from 16 participants who were allocated into herbal medicine treatment groups were obtained during the participation of a clinical trial. Intervention used in this clinical trial included treatments with commercially available herbal medications for 12 weeks. Blood samples were taken for scRNA-seq, and CIS score was measured to monitor the outcome of the treatment. Peripheral whole blood cells were extracted from the collected blood specimens by RBC lysis. After cell viability assessment, the samples were labelled and grouped for a multiplexed sequencing analysis. Library preparation and data pre-processing was conducted according to BD Rhapsody protocol. For downstream bioinformatic analysis, R Seurat package was utilized to perform additional QC, cluster, and annotate the cells.

The dataset includes information from over 181,000 high-quality blood cells, along with clinical details from the study participants. To ensure accuracy, the researchers applied strict quality control checks throughout the process—from sample collection to sequencing and data analysis. Their goal is to create a valuable resource for future research, helping scientists understand how herbal treatments may influence the immune system and potentially improve symptoms of long COVID.

While this study does not provide definitive proof that herbal medicines work, it lays the groundwork for further exploration. With more research, we may discover new ways to support recovery from long COVID using both traditional and modern medical approaches.