Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. f. (TWHF), commonly known as Lei Gong Teng (Thunder God Vine), has been used in Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, such as rheumatoid arthritis for centuries. 1, 2 and 3 Tripdiolide 1 and Triptolide 2 ( Fig. 1), the two major diterpene bioactive components responsible for the clinical properties of TWHF, were first isolated from TWHF extracts and characterized as a diterpenoid ...