RidgeCrest Herbals Validates ClearLungs® Respiratory Support Using CytoSolve®’s Systems Architecture to Model Multi-Herb Synergy Across Lung Congestion Pathways

Partner Description

RidgeCrest Herbals is a nutraceutical company specializing in botanical formulations based on traditional Chinese herbal medicine. Their flagship product, ClearLungs®, combines thirteen herbs that are traditionally used to support respiratory function. The company sought to understand the mechanistic action of ClearLungs® using systems biology, aiming to scientifically validate the multi-herb synergy in alleviating lung congestion.

Challenge

Lung congestion results from a complex interplay of physiological processes, including inflammation, excess mucus production, and impaired airway smooth muscle relaxation, all contributing to fluid accumulation and restricted airflow. Traditional approaches to studying these interactions are limited, particularly when the formulation in question consists of multiple ingredients acting across interconnected pathways. For ClearLungs®, RidgeCrest Herbals faced the challenge of demonstrating:

  • Synergy Across Ingredients: The 13-herb formulation produces a coordinated therapeutic effect that cannot be explained by any single ingredient alone.
  • Multi-System Modulation: An integrated systems model is required to capture multi-pathway lung congestion dynamics, including inflammation, mucus regulation, and airway relaxation.
  • Scalability: Practical and cost constraints make exhaustive testing of all ingredient combinations and dosage permutations infeasible for complex multi-ingredient formulations.
RidgeCrest needed a computational approach that could assess ClearLungs® as a unified, multi-pathway intervention, providing insight into its mechanisms and validating its effects.

How CytoSolve Helped

CytoSolve® applied its advanced computational platform to construct an integrative in silico architecture for lung congestion and respiratory health, enabling RidgeCrest Herbals to validate ClearLungs®’ multi-herb synergy.

  • Systematic Literature Review and Pathway Blueprint: CytoSolve® conducted an extensive scientific literature review to identify molecular pathways associated with lung congestion, These pathways involved:

      • Inflammation
      • Mucus regulation and mucin production
      • Airway smooth muscle relaxation.
      • Pathway-to-Model Translation: These biological pathways were converted into validated mathematical models representing key respiratory subsystems, including inflammation, mucus regulation, and airway smooth muscle relaxation.
      • Subsystem Identification and Integration: CytoSolve® structured lung congestion biology into three primary subsystems—inflammation, mucus homeostasis, and airway smooth muscle function—and integrated them into a unified systems model that preserves pathway cross-talk and interdependencies.
      • Dose-Relevant Combination Simulation: Using the integrated systems model, CytoSolve® simulated the combined effects of the 13 bioactive ingredients in ClearLungs® at recommended dosages, enabling direct assessment of multi-ingredient synergy and each ingredient’s contribution across inflammation, mucus regulation, and airway smooth muscle relaxation pathways.

Key Benefits Realized

  • Systems-Level Mechanistic Insight: The modeling provided RidgeCrest with a comprehensive understanding of how ClearLungs® acts across multiple biological systems simultaneously, validating a multi-target approach to lung congestion rather than isolated pathway effects.
  • Identification of Key Therapeutic Targets: CytoSolve® highlighted three core intervention domains—inflammation, mucus regulation, and airway smooth muscle relaxation—helping direct formulation strategy and strengthen the scientific rationale behind the product.
  • Quantitative Demonstration of Synergy: Simulations showed measurable synergistic effects across the 13 botanicals, including coordinated reductions in inflammatory signaling, decreased mucus accumulation, and improved airway smooth muscle relaxation beyond individual ingredient expectations.
  • Scientific Substantiation of Complex Herbal Formulation: Predictive in silico modeling delivered mechanistically grounded validation of the formulation’s biological effects, supporting product efficacy with structured, pathway-based scientific evidence.
  • Reduced Reliance on Fragmented Experimentation: The unified systems framework minimized the need for isolated, ingredient-by-ingredient testing by enabling efficient, holistic evaluation of the full multi-herb formulation.

Outcome

CytoSolve® delivered RidgeCrest Herbals a detailed, systems-level mechanistic foundation for ClearLungs®, confirming that the combination of its 13 botanical ingredients works synergistically to alleviate lung congestion. The in silico simulations showed that the formula reduced inflammatory markers, decreased mucin-associated mucus production, and facilitated airway smooth muscle relaxation—all contributing to improved airway function.

The collaboration provided RidgeCrest with a validated, computationally substantiated understanding of ClearLungs® as a multi-target respiratory support formulation. This evidence not only reinforced the product's effectiveness but also highlighted how CytoSolve®'s systems biology platform can translate complex, multi-herb formulations into interpretable, mechanistic, dose-relevant data. RidgeCrest now has a scientifically grounded, defensible approach to further product development and potential future regulatory submissions.