TNF and rheumatoid arthritis: Artesunate is a semisyntic derivative of artemisinin, which can inhibit the secretion of TNF-α in RA synovial cells by regulating NF-κB signaling pathway (Li et al., 2013), reduce the activity of IL-17, and regulate the balance of Th17/Treg lymphocytes (Mo et al., 2012; Liu N. et al., 2017).