Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） holds a holistic theory, and specializes in balancing disordered human body using numerous natural products, particularly Chinese herbal formulae. TCM has certain treatment advantag...Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） holds a holistic theory, and specializes in balancing disordered human body using numerous natural products, particularly Chinese herbal formulae. TCM has certain treatment advantages for patients suffering from various complex diseases. However, due to the complex nature of TCM, it remains difficult to unveil such holistic medicine by the current reductionism research strategies, which treat both herbal ingredients and targets in isolation. Recently, an emerging network pharmacology approach has been introduced to tackle this bottleneck problem. A TCM-derived novel therapeutic concept, ＂network target＂, which is different from the Western medicine＇s ＂onetarget＂ concept, has been proposed from China. The network target strategy is able to illustrate the complex interactions among the biological systems, drugs, and complex diseases from a network perspective, and thus provides an innovative approach to access ancient remedies in a precision manner and at a systematic level, which also highlights TCM＇s potential in current medical systems.展开更多
Amarogentin is an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine and a component of the bitter apricot kernel.It is commonly used as an expectorant and supplementary anti-cancer drug.β-Glucosidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes t...Amarogentin is an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine and a component of the bitter apricot kernel.It is commonly used as an expectorant and supplementary anti-cancer drug.β-Glucosidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the glycosidic bond between aryl and saccharide groups to release glucose.Upon their interaction,β-glucosidase catalyzes amarogentin to produce considerable amounts of hydrocyanic acid,which inhibits cytochrome C oxidase,the terminal enzyme in the mitochondrial respiration chain,and suspends adenosine triphosphate synthesis,resulting in cell death.Hydrocyanic acid is a cell-cycle-stage-nonspecific agent that kills cancer cells.Thus,β-glucosidase can be coupled with a tumor-specific monoclonal antibody.β-Glucosidase can combine with cancer-cell-surface antigens and specifically convert amarogentin to an active drug that acts on cancer cells and the surrounding antibodies to achieve a kil ing effect.β-Glucosidase is injected intravenously and recognizes cancer-cel-surface antigens with the help of an antibody.The prodrug amarogentin is infused after β-glucosidase has reached the target position.Coupling of cell membrane peptides with β-glucosidase allows the enzyme to penetrate capillary endothelial cells and clear extracellular deep solid tumors to kill the cells therein.The Chinese medicine amarogentin and β-glucosidase will become an important treatment for various tumors when an appropriate monoclonal antibody is developed.展开更多
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81225025 and 91229201)
文摘Traditional Chinese medicine（TCM） holds a holistic theory, and specializes in balancing disordered human body using numerous natural products, particularly Chinese herbal formulae. TCM has certain treatment advantages for patients suffering from various complex diseases. However, due to the complex nature of TCM, it remains difficult to unveil such holistic medicine by the current reductionism research strategies, which treat both herbal ingredients and targets in isolation. Recently, an emerging network pharmacology approach has been introduced to tackle this bottleneck problem. A TCM-derived novel therapeutic concept, ＂network target＂, which is different from the Western medicine＇s ＂onetarget＂ concept, has been proposed from China. The network target strategy is able to illustrate the complex interactions among the biological systems, drugs, and complex diseases from a network perspective, and thus provides an innovative approach to access ancient remedies in a precision manner and at a systematic level, which also highlights TCM＇s potential in current medical systems.
文摘Amarogentin is an efficacious Chinese herbal medicine and a component of the bitter apricot kernel.It is commonly used as an expectorant and supplementary anti-cancer drug.β-Glucosidase is an enzyme that hydrolyzes the glycosidic bond between aryl and saccharide groups to release glucose.Upon their interaction,β-glucosidase catalyzes amarogentin to produce considerable amounts of hydrocyanic acid,which inhibits cytochrome C oxidase,the terminal enzyme in the mitochondrial respiration chain,and suspends adenosine triphosphate synthesis,resulting in cell death.Hydrocyanic acid is a cell-cycle-stage-nonspecific agent that kills cancer cells.Thus,β-glucosidase can be coupled with a tumor-specific monoclonal antibody.β-Glucosidase can combine with cancer-cell-surface antigens and specifically convert amarogentin to an active drug that acts on cancer cells and the surrounding antibodies to achieve a kil ing effect.β-Glucosidase is injected intravenously and recognizes cancer-cel-surface antigens with the help of an antibody.The prodrug amarogentin is infused after β-glucosidase has reached the target position.Coupling of cell membrane peptides with β-glucosidase allows the enzyme to penetrate capillary endothelial cells and clear extracellular deep solid tumors to kill the cells therein.The Chinese medicine amarogentin and β-glucosidase will become an important treatment for various tumors when an appropriate monoclonal antibody is developed.
