Explore the value and potential of traditional Chinese medicine against cancer with the methodology and practice spirit of natural science

中医是我们民族具有原创性特征的生命科学,直面现代医学而具有自身的诸多优势.作为具有鲜明生命医学科学特征的临床学科,肿瘤学是发挥中西医结合优势的典范学科.中医兼具人文科学和自然科学两种不同的文化属性,而面对癌症这样重大的疾病时,应强强调以自然科学的方法参与中医药抗癌的实践和革新.“自主创新、方法先行”.

Annual advances of traditional Chinese medicine on tumor immunity regulation in 2021

Traditional Chinese medicine has been used to treat more than 70%of cancer patients in China.Traditional Chinese medicine treatment includes the application of traditional Chinese medicine monomers,extracts,classical Chinese medicine compounds,self-made compounds,acupuncture,etc.Mechanisms of the anti-tumor effects of traditional Chinese medicine are related to their immune-regulatory roles.Some traditional Chinese medicines improve the sensitivity of chemotherapeutic drugs,enhance tumor-suppressive effects,and decrease adverse reactions.In 2021,research papers from China accounted for about two-thirds of all the papers on traditional Chinese medicine and anti-tumor immunity.China continues to lead the world in the field of anti-tumor immunity of traditional Chinese medicine,and the efficient and productive academic cooperation between China and other countries has promoted the rapid development of this field.In this review,we summarize the research progress of traditional Chinese medicine in the field of tumor immunity in 2021 to provide new insights into mechanisms underlying the anti-tumor effects of traditional Chinese medicine.

Similarity measurement of Chinese medicine ingredients for cold-hot nature identification

目的:中药药性理论是中医药的核心基础理论,其中寒热药性是当前研究的重点。研究发现中药成分是产生药性的物质基础。因此,我们推断成分相似的中药具有相似的药性。由于中药指纹图谱可以反映中药的物质成分,因此,当前热点集中于通过中药指纹图谱技术研究中药药性。方法:为了验证上述假说,本文研究量化中药成分的相似性为指纹图谱的相似性,探索中药成分与寒热药性之间的关系。首先,我们利用紫外指纹图谱分析61味寒热药性明确的中药(30味寒性药和31味热性药)。其次,一个距离度量学习算法被研究度量中药指纹图谱的相似性。最后,一个检索方案被提出构建预测识别模型用于中药寒热药性的识别。结果:大量的实验发现,石油醚溶剂下的紫外图谱可以更好的区分寒热药性。与已有的识别方案相比,提出的模型具有更好的识别性能。结论:实验结果证明了我们的推论,成分相似的中药具有相似的药性。提出的预测模型被证明是可行和有效的。

The Significance of Constructing TCM Psychosomatic Medicine from the Holistic View of the Unity of Nature and Man

With the development of medical technology, the problem of fragmentation of medical research has become increasingly prominent, and a series of iatrogenic diseases, drug-induced diseases and drug toxicity and side effects have resulted in an increase in the number of diseases. In the face of these problems, the medical concept has been re-examined and re-thought. The concept of the holistic view of the unity of nature and man in traditional Chinese medicine has certain enlightenment for dealing with the problems in the current medical development. Based on the holistic view of the unity of nature and man, the overall connection between human’s heart and body and nature is explained, and the further construction of TCM psychosomatic medicine is conducive to guiding the diagnosis and treatment of clinical diseases, and providing new enlightenment for the current medical concept thinking and clinical disease research.

Annual advances of traditional medicine on tumor immunity regulation in 2020

Tumor burden remains a global health problem that threatens human life worldwide.Over the past few years,the evolution of immune checkpoint inhibitors has represented one of the most successful approaches in the field of tumor therapy.Drugs regulating tumor immune microenvironment or enhancing body immunity have indicated a novel perspective to treat tumors.Therefore,an increased number of scientists have been shifting their research focus to explore the immunity regulation effects of anti-tumor traditional medicine or natural products.In this review,we summarize the research progress of traditional medicines on tumor immunity regulation in 2020.Our findings suggest that more herbal medicine-derived phytochemicals and formulas were derived from traditional Chinese medicine,and more papers were published in comprehensive journals.Traditional medicine can comprehensively regulate the tumor immune microenvironment,including natural killer cells,dendritic cells,CD4+/CD8+T lymphocytes,regulatory T cells,myeloid-derived suppressor cells,tumor-associated macrophages,immunosuppressive factors,and immune checkpoints.In 2020,a greater number of research papers focused on active ingredients and formulas that regulate tumor-associated macrophages and immune checkpoints.Active ingredients such as flavonoids became a global hotspot in 2020.Certain natural products were also found to exert synergistic anti-tumor activity with immune checkpoint inhibitors,such as curcumin.However,a distinct lack of high-quality experimental and clinical studies remains a prevalent and challenging issue that hinders the further development of traditional medicine.

The traditional Chinese medicines treat chronic heart failure and their main bioactive constituents and mechanisms

Chronic heart failure(CHF)is a severe public health problem with increasing morbidity and mortality,any treatment targeting a single session is insufficient to tackle this.CHF is characterized by reduced cardiac output resulting from neurohumoral dysregulation and cardiac remodeling,which might be related to oxidative stress,inflammation,endoplasmic reticulum stress,apoptosis,autophagy,mitochondrial function,and angiogenesis.These molecular mechanisms interact with each other through crosstalk.Historically,Chinese medicinal herbs have been widely applied in the treatment of CHF,and therapeutic effects of Chinese medicinal herbs and their ingredients have been scientifically confirmed over the past decades.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with multiple components can confront the different pathogenesis of CHF through multiple targets.This review analyzes commonly used TCM patent drugs and TCM decoctions that are applicable to different stages of CHF based on clinical trials.Diverse bioactive ingredients in Chinese medicinal herbs have been found to treat CHF via multiple molecular mechanisms.This review comprehensively covers the key works on the effects and underlying mechanisms of TCM,herbal ingredients and synergistic effects of constituent compatibility in treating CHF,providing additional ideas to address this threat.

Self-assembled natural phytochemicals for synergistically antibacterial application from the enlightenment of traditional Chinese medicine combination

The application of nanotechnology for antimicrobial delivery has capacity to improve anti-bacterial efficacy.Currently,the usage of various inorganic and organic carriers,such as metal ions,nano-silicon and surfactants,might increase the potential toxicity of nanoparticles and make their clinical transformation more difficult.Herein,a nano-delivery system was constructed by direct self-assembly of antibacterial phytochemicals(berberine and rhein)originated from traditional Chinese medicine Coptis chinensis Franch.and Rheum palmatum L.,respectively.Combining X-ray single crystal diffraction,nuclear magnetic resonance and other spectra characterizations,the stacked structure of nanoparticles was profoundly demonstrated.Briefly,rhein acted as the layered backbone and berberine embedded in it.In vitro bacteriostasis experiment showed the minimum bactericidal concentration of nanoparticles was 0.1μmol/mL,which was lower than that of berberine and rhein.The results of confocal laser scanning microscope,biofilm quantitive assay and scanning electron microscopy indicated that nanoparticles had strong inhibitory effects on Staphylococcus aureus biofilm.More importantly,transmission electron microscopy and mass spectra indicated the further bacteriostatic mechanism of nanoparticles.Meanwhile,the nanoparticles had well biocompatibility and safety.Current study will open up new prospect that the design of self-assemblies between active phytochemicals can be originated from traditional Chinese medicine combination.

ANTICANCER AGENTS FROM TRADITIONAL CHINESE MEDICINE AND NATURAL PRODUCTS

Chemotherapy is still the effective strategy for treating cancer.It is important to explore anticancer agents from Traditional Chinese Medicine and Natural products.Different cancer cell lines were included in our research,such as HL60,K562,K562/ADR,KB,KBv200 cells.Cell growth inhibition assay,Annexin V-FITC/PI double-staining assay,measurement of reactive

Herbal medicines and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD), which is characterized by excessive fat accumulation in the liver of patients who consume little or no alcohol, becomes increasingly common with rapid economic development. Long-term excess fat accumulation leads to NAFLD and represents a global health problem with no effective therapeutic approach. NAFLD is considered to be a series of complex, multifaceted pathological processes involving oxidative stress, inflammation, apoptosis, and metabolism. Over the past decades, herbal medicines have garnered growing attention as potential therapeutic agents to prevent and treat NAFLD, due to their high efficacy and low risk of side effects. In this review, we evaluate the use of herbal medicines(including traditional Chinese herbal formulas, crude extracts from medicinal plants, and pure natural products) to treat NAFLD. These herbal medicines are natural resources that can inform innovative drug research and the development of treatments for NAFLD in the future.

Interactions Between Traditional Chinese Medicine and Anticancer Drugs in Chemotherapy

Herbal medicines, including traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs), have been used in Eastern countries for treating diseases such as cancer for thousands of years. With the growing knowledge of tumorigenesis and cancer therapy, some natural compounds have been developed as clinical anticancer drugs. In addition, many compounds and TCMs have been characterized as complementary and alternative treatments,with synergetic effects on enhancing the efficacy or reducing the side effects of the therapeutics. In this review, we summarized the recent studies focusing on the combination of natural compounds or TCM decoction with chemotherapeutics. The detailed mechanisms of action of the combinations and the application of analytical methods on TCM development are also discussed.

Targeting immunometabolism by active ingredients derived from traditional Chinese medicines for treatment of rheumatoid arthritis

Rheumatoid arthritis(RA),the most common inflammatory arthropathy word wild,is a systemic autoimmune disease that mainly affects the synovium of joints with a high disability rate.Metabolic misregulation has emerged as a fundamental pathogenesis of RA linked to immune cell dysfunction,while targeting immunometabolism provides a new and effective approach to regulate the immune responses and thus alleviate the symptom of RA.Recently,natural active compounds from traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)have potential therapeutic effects on RA and regulating immunometabolism.In this review,in addition to updating the connection between cellular metabolism and cell function in immune cells of RA,we summarized that the anti-inflammatory mechanisms of the potential natural compounds from TCM by targeting metabolic reprogramming of immune cells,and discusses them as a rich resource for providing the new potential paradigm for the treatment of RA.

Therapeutic potential of traditional Chinese medicine for the treatment of NAFLD:A promising drug Potentilla discolor Bunge

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease(NAFLD)is characterized by excessive accumulation of hepatic lipids and metabolic stress-induced liver injury.There are currently no approved effective pharmacological treatments for NAFLD.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been used for centuries to treat patients with chronic liver diseases without clear disease types and mechanisms.More recently,TCM has been shown to have unique advantages in the treatment of NAFLD.We performed a systematic review of the medical literature published over the last two decades and found that many TCM formulas have been reported to be beneficial for the treatment of metabolic dysfunctions,including Potentilla discolor Bunge(PDB).PDB has a variety of active compounds,including flavonoids,terpenoids,organic acids,steroids and tannins.Many compounds have been shown to exhibit a series of beneficial effects for the treatment of NAFLD,including anti-oxidative and anti-inflammatory functions,improvement of lipid metabolism and reversal of insulin resistance.In this review,we summarize potential therapeutic effects of TCM formulas for the treatment of NAFLD,focusing on the medicinal properties of natural active compounds from PDB and their underlying mechanisms.We point out that PDB can be classified as a novel candidate for the treatment and prevention of NAFLD.

Xihuang Pills,a Traditional Chinese Preparation used as a Complementary Medicine to Treat Cancer:An Updated Review

The traditional Chinese medicine,Xihuang pills(XHP),has long been used for the management of cancers,both to limit tumor cells proliferation and dissemination,and to protect nontumor cells from damages induced by conventional therapeutic agents.XHP is made from two plant extracts(from Boswellia carteri and Commiphora myrrha)and two animal-derived products(from Moschus moschiferus and Calculus bovis).Recent advances into the mechanism of action of XHP and its clinical efficacy are reviewed here to highlight its potential to treat breast and colon cancers in particular.The immunoregulatory effects of XHP are underlined.Similar traditional medicinal preparations containing Boswellia and Commiphora are discussed,as well as the activities of the major natural products found in XHP including abietic acid,acetyl-keto-boswellic acid,and muscone.Pharmacological and clinical studies of XHP and similar medicinal preparations,such as the Korean medicine Hang Am Dan-B,are encouraged.

Traditional Chinese medicine extraction method by ethanol delivers drug-like molecules

Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM)is an important reservoir for bioactive natural products.TCM extraction methods by water decoction and wine tincture are an integral part of TCM and essential for their widely acknowledged efficacy.In this study,we selected 6 common TCMs that are rich in chemistry to investigate whether the TCM extraction methods deliver molecules with drug-like physical chemical properties.Six TCM herbal materials were extracted by water,95%ethanol,and sequential hexane,d ichloromethane and methanol.The extracts were analyzed by HPLC and^1H NMR.Isolation on one of the extracts yielded 32 compounds,their physical chemical properties were analyzed by Instant JChem.Our results showed that ethanol extraction,which mimics TCM wine tincture,delivered compounds with physical chemical properties compliant to Lipinski’s rule of 5.

2022年NSFC心血管领域中、西医申请资助情况分析

系统梳理分析2022年国家自然科学基金心血管领域中、西医学面上项目、青年科学基金项目和地区科学基金项目3类常规项目的申请和资助情况、所涉及主要病种、研究热点和研究思路。结果显示,两个领域研究的主要病种相似,研究热点也基本一致。均以动脉粥样硬化、冠心病、心力衰竭、高血压、继发性心肌损伤和心律失常为主,主要开展表观遗传学、外泌体、细胞焦亡或铁死亡、细胞自噬、肠道微生物群以及线粒体功能方面的研究,思路呈现多样化的特点。但西医心血管领域的病种更为广泛,还包括心脏移植等中医心血管领域不涉及的病种。在科学问题导向和研究内容方面,中医心血管领域要求在中医药理论的指导下,以解决中医学科的关键科学问题为导向,体现中医药的特色。此外,研究热点只是探索科学问题的技术手段,应深入凝练科学问题,避免盲目追求结合研究热点反而缺乏了创新性思想和科学依据,鼓励原创性基础研究。

基于自然语言处理智能技术的中医术语研究文献计量分析

目的对国内外近20年来发表的涉及自然语言处理(NLP)智能技术应用于中医术语识别或标注方面的文献进行计量分析与评价,探讨NLP智能技术在中医术语标准研究中的应用和发展前景。方法检索收集2003年1月至2023年10月期间,中国知网、维普中文科技期刊数据库、万方数据知识服务平台、中国生物医学文献服务系统及Web of Science等中英文数据库中的相关文献。采用Excel vba、Gephi、PyCharm等数据处理和统计分析工具,应用频数统计、Apriori关联分析、词云统计等文献计量学方法,对相关研究热点进行可视化分析。结果①经筛选,符合研究标准的文献共442篇,其中中文文献320篇、英文文献122篇。②2016年以后,相关发文量呈现持续增长的趋势。③发文国家主要集中在中国。④中文文献中硕博士学位论文比重较大,其中发文量最高的是北京交通大学。⑤中文文献发文机构以中国中医科学院发文量最高;英文文献发文机构以北京科技大学发文量最高;中医机构与计算机相关机构合作频繁。⑥基于BERT的命名实体识别算法在中医术语研究中的应用效果最为显著。⑦中医文献类的数据占比较大。结论基于NLP智能技术的中医术语标准化研究仍处于探索阶段,现有研究表现出技术应用的多样性,但缺乏系统性。鉴于NLP智能技术在中医术语识别和标注方面的潜力,未来研究需进一步加强,以期实现中医术语标准研究的系统化、智能化与广泛应用。

由线粒体质量控制探讨天然产物在骨质疏松症防治中的作用

骨质疏松症是一种常见的代谢性骨疾病,主要由骨形成减少与骨吸收增加导致的骨重塑失衡引起,其发生发展的详细分子机制尚不完全清晰。线粒体质量控制是细胞内保持线粒体健康和功能的一套机制,被发现在多种衰老相关疾病中发挥着关键作用。天然产物作为一类具有多样性和生物活性的化合物,被广泛应用于调节线粒体功能和质量控制。近年来的研究表明部分天然产物可以干预线粒体质量控制系统对骨髓间充质干细胞、成骨细胞和破骨细胞的生理功能以及发育过程进行调控。基于此,笔者综述了线粒体质量控制系统,包括线粒体生物发生、线粒体动力学、线粒体自噬以及线粒体氧化应激,在骨质疏松症中的作用并总结了部分天然产物干预线粒体质量控制参与调控骨质疏松症发生发展的最新研究进展,旨在确定线粒体质量控制系统在防止骨质疏松症的潜在价值,为临床天然治疗骨质疏松症提供一定的理论依据。

中药及其天然产物通过靶向铁死亡治疗癌症研究进展

铁死亡是一种独特的铁依赖性的细胞死亡方式,一种不同于细胞凋亡、各种形式的坏死和自噬的新型死亡表型。许多从中药中提取的活性成分可在不同癌症中通过诱导铁死亡发挥抗癌作用。越来越多的研究发现,对铁死亡的调控可影响肿瘤细胞对药物的敏感性,甚至逆转耐药。一些天然产物与化学治疗药物如顺铂、氟尿嘧啶、吉西他滨等联用可通过诱导铁死亡增强癌细胞对药物的敏感性。该文主要总结了可以通过诱导铁死亡发挥抗癌作用的中药及其天然产物,可为癌症治疗和逆转耐药提供新思路,同时也为发掘中药的潜在优势、拓宽中药的应用范围提供参考。

中药及天然产物在提高公猪精液品质中的应用研究进展

人工授精技术不仅提高了配种效率,而且实现了跨区域遗传交流,提高了生产成绩。配种率是决定猪场效率的关键指标,其影响因素很多,公猪精液质量是重要影响因素之一。同时,优良的公猪精液还能起到遗传改良、降低耗料增重比、改善种群结构等作用,保障公猪精液质量尤为重要。因中药及天然提取物具有良好的抗氧化、抗菌、耐药性低等优点,且毒副作用小,其在公猪精液保存中的应用也越来越多。本文综述了中药及天然产物在提高公猪精液品质方面中的应用,主要在提高精液抗氧化能力、抗菌能力、精子渗透压耐受能力、提高采精量及降低精子畸形率4个方面进行总结,旨在为生产高质量精液提供理论依据与参考方案。