Screening and immune infiltration analysis of ferroptosis-related genes in pancreatic cancer with predictions for traditional Chinese medicine treatments

Background:This study aims to explore the involvement of ferroptosis-related genes and pathogenesis in pancreatic cancer and predict potential therapeutic interventions using Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).Methods:We utilized gene expression datasets,ferroptosis upregulated genes and applied machine learning algorithms,including LASSO and SVM-RFE,to identify key ferroptosis-related genes in pancreatic cancer.Perform Gene Ontology,Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes,and Disease Ontology enrichment analysis,immune infiltration analysis and correlation analysis between immune infiltrating cells and characteristic genes on differentially expressed genes using the R software package.Retrieve potential traditional Chinese medicine for targeted ferroptosis gene therapy for pancreatic cancer through Coremine and Herb databases.Results:Seventeen feature genes were identified,with significant implications for immune cell infiltration in pancreatic cancer.The results of immune cell infiltration analysis showed that B cells naive,B cells memory,T cells regulatory,and M0 macrophages were significantly upregulated in pancreatic cancer patients;Mast cells resting were significantly downregulated.Chinese herbal medicines such as ginkgo,turmeric,ginseng,Codonopsis pilosula,Zedoary turmeric,deer tendons,senna leaves,Guanmu Tong,Huangqi,and Banzhilian are potential drugs for targeted ferroptosis gene therapy for pancreatic cancer.Conclusion:TIMP1 emerged as a key gene,with several TCM herbs predicted to modulate its expression,offering new avenues for treatment.

The causes of adverse reactions in traditional Chinese medicine

With the increasingly widespread application of traditional Chinese medicine in clinical practice,the safety of traditional Chinese medicine has been given more attention.The occurrence of adverse drug reactions of traditional Chinese medicine will harm the health of patients,leading to a certain incidence rate and mortality rate,and serious adverse drug reactions of traditional Chinese medicine will lead to increased treatment costs of patients,bringing huge economic burden to patients and society[1-3].

Metal ions as effectual tools for cancer with traditional Chinese medicine

Malignant tumor has become a major threat affecting human health,and is one of the main causes of human death.Recent studies have shown that many traditional Chinese medicines(TCM)have good anti-tumor activity,which may improve the therapeutic effect of routine treatment and quality of life with lower toxicity.However,the efficacy of TCM alone for the treatment of tumors is limited.Metal ions are essential substances for maintaining normal physiological activities.This article summarized the multiple mechanisms in which metal ions are involved in the prevention and treatment of tumors in TCM.

Traditional Chinese medicine during the COVID-19 pandemic:recent successes and future perspectives

The article titled“Three medicines and three formulas in COVID-19:from bench to bedside”introduces the clinical effects and mechanisms of three medicinal products and three prescription formulas(TMTF)from traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)as used during the COVID-19 pandemic[1].

Traditional Chinese medicine of Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge: a review of phytochemistry, pharmacology and pharmacokinetics

Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge,known as red sage or Danshen,is commonly applied in Chinese herbal therapeutics for various biological effects.In 25-220 C.E.,the earliest Chinese Materia Medica referred to as Shengong’s Classic of Materia Medica(Eastern Han Dynasty of China,200 C.E.)initially documented Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge.Currently,Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge is one of the most frequently prescribed traditional Chinese medicines in clinics for antidiabetic,antianxiety,antihypertensive,antidepressant,antilipidemic,antiarrhythmic,and anticancer effects.Undoubtedly,it is best known for improving and promoting blood circulation;thus,its recommendation for use in cardiovascular disorders.Regarding this article,important information was sourced both manually and electronically using patent compendium and databases,including Google Scholar,herbal plant monographs,Hindawi,PubMed,Embase,CNKI,pharmacopoeias,Springer,etc.Well-concise details and discussions on the botany,traditional medicinal uses,chemical constituents-phytochemistry,pharmacokinetics,pharmacology,and toxicology information are presented.In perspective,understanding the comprehensive information of the above-stated fields with regards to Salvia miltiorrhiza Bunge would yield an additional positive knowledge on areas that need urgent attention and identify gaps in research and safety for future consideration.

Multimodal integrated strategy for the discovery and identification of quality markers in traditional Chinese medicine

With the modernization and internationalization of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM),the requirement for quality control has increased.The quality marker(Q-marker)is an important standard in this field and has been implemented with remarkable success in recent years.However,the establishment of Qmarkers remains fragmented and the process lacks systematicity,resulting in inconsistent quality control and insufficient correlation with clinical efficacy and safety of TCM.This review introduces four multimodal integrated approaches that contribute to the discovery of more comprehensive and accurate Qmarkers,thus aiding in the establishment of new quality control patterns based on the characteristics and principles of TCM.These include the whole-process quality control strategy,chemical-activity-based screening method,efficacy,safety,and consistent combination strategy,and TCM theory-guided approach.Furthermore,methodologies and representative examples of these strategies are described,and important future directions and questions in this field are also proposed.

Potential Treatment of COVID-19 with Traditional Chinese Medicine: What Herbs Can Help Win the Battle with SARS-CoV-2?

Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)has been successfully applied worldwide in the treatment of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19),which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2(SARS-CoV-2).However,the pharmacological mechanisms underlying this success remain unclear.Hence,the aim of this review is to combine pharmacological assays based on the theory of TCM in order to elucidate the potential signaling pathways,targets,active compounds,and formulas of herbs that are involved in the TCM treatment of COVID-19,which exhibits combatting viral infections,immune regulation,and amelioration of lung injury and fibrosis.Extensive reports on target screening are elucidated using virtual prediction via docking analysis or network pharmacology based on existing data.The results of these reports indicate that an intricate regulatory mechanism is involved in the pathogenesis of COVID-19.Therefore,more pharmacological research on the natural herbs used in TCM should be conducted in order to determine the association between TCM and COVID-19 and account for the observed therapeutic effects of TCM against COVID-19.

Granulation process analysis technologies and potential applications in traditional Chinese medicine

Pharmaceutical production is changing from batch production to continuous production,during which granulation is one of the most important unit operations.The quality of mass-produced products is traditionally guaranteed by conducting off-line testing,which cannot meet the demand of continuous production for real-time monitoring of critical process parameters and critical quality attributes(CQAs)of the pharmaceutical granulation technology.Since the U.S.Food and Drug Administration proposed process analytical technology(PAT)in 2004,many PAT tools have been developed to monitor the granulation process and provide information regarding the granulation operation conditions and endpoint determination.In this article,we review the recent research and application of two PAT modes in the granulation process,namely,single CQA and multi-CQA PAT,with the aim to provide references for comprehensively improving the technological level of the pharmaceutical granulation process.Furthermore,the potential applications in traditional Chinese Medicine are discussed.

“Three medicines and three formulas”in COVID-19:from bench to bedside

Chinese guideline has proven effective in the fight against coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)during the global spread of the epidemic.Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)is widely recognized for its effectiveness in alleviating symptoms,inhibiting disease progress,reducing mortality,and improving the cure rate of patients with COVID-19.During the pandemic,“three medicines and three formulas”(TMTFs)stood out from hundreds of others in registered clinical studies,which became highly recommended as TCM for COVID-19 treatment.The TMTFs not only effectively relieve the clinical symptoms of fever,cough,fatigue,and phlegm,but also substantially shorten the time of nucleic acid negative conversion,improve lung computed tomography imaging features and inflammation,ameliorate clinical biochemical indicators,and reduce sequelae.Their potential pharmacological mechanisms are mainly related to the crosstalk between viral toxicity,endothelial damage,cytokine storm,immune response,and microthrombus.In brief,the clinical effects and the potential mechanisms of TMTFs on COVID-19 were systematically analyzed and summarized covering the entirety of disease development,including virus invasion and replication,immune response and cytokine storm,and acute respiratory distress syndrome and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome.This review provides a theoretical basis and reference for the in-depth understanding of the positive role of TMTFs in COVID-19 treatment.

The“Top 50 High Impact Researches of Traditional Medicine”published in 2021

In recent years,significant progress has been achieved in both basic and clinical research within the field of traditional medicine,garnering increasing attention worldwide.To further promote a high-quality and international development of traditional medicine,the editorial board of Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine provided a collection of the“Top 50 High-impact Researches of Traditional Medicine”published in 2021 through objective indicators and a strict selection process.The findings of the selected articles have a significant academic influence and possess considerable academic value both nationally and internationally.The selected articles cover a wide range of topics,including clinical research,acupuncture,pharmacology,chemistry,biosynthesis,medicinal plant resources,and new formulation and drug delivery system research on traditional medicine.Therefore,this article outlines the selection process of the top 50 high-impact research articles,analyzes their research characteristics,and provides a brief summary of their new findings and perspectives in the field of traditional medicine.

Herbal medicine-derived nanovesicles: basic characteristics and biological activities

Herbal medicine(HM)has been extensively researched and widely used since ancient times.Currently,as one of the emerging directions in HM modernization research,herbal medicine-derived nanovesicles(HMDNV),a type of nanoparticle obtained from destructed plant tissues,hold considerable promise for disease treatment and drug delivery.The recent studies related to HMDNV and miRNAs are summarized in this review,with a special emphasis on their basic characteristics and biological activities,to provide ideas for future scientific research on HMDNV and enrich the content of active components of Traditional Chinese Medicine(TCM).

Licorice:comprehensive review of its chemical composition,pharmacodynamics,and medicinal value

Licorice,a perennial herb of Leguminosa,is one of the oldest and most widely used herbal medicines worldwide.Its distinct sweet flavor and rich medicinal value make it an integral component of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)formulations,which continue to be widely employed.The main chemical constituents of licorice include triterpenoid saponins,flavonoids,and polysaccharides.Experimental and clinical studies have demonstrated that various extracts and pure compounds derived from licorice exhibit a wide range of pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory,antioxidant,antimicrobial,antiviral,antitumor,immune-regulatory,and neuroprotective activities.The bioactive constituents of licorice offer therapeutic benefits for cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases,diabetes mellitus,and liver disorders.This comprehensive review discusses the primary chemical constituents of licorice and their pharmacological activities,describes in vivo and in vitro models employed for studying licorice,and its potential targets and mechanisms of action.Furthermore,we discuss the toxicological profile,side effects,dosage recommendations,and clinical applications of licorice.This review aims to establish a foundation for further research on the safe and effective utilization of licorice while facilitating an in-depth exploration of its properties and fostering the development of novel therapeutic agents.

In-line spectroscopy combined with multivariate analysis methods for endpoint determination in column chromatographic adsorption processes for herbal medicine

Objective: In a chromatographic cycle, the adsorption process is a critical unit operation that has a significant impact on downstream processes and, ultimately, the quality of the final products. The development of a rapid method to determine the endpoints of adsorption processes in a large-scale manufacturing is of substantial importance for herbal medicine(HM) manufacturers.Methods: In this study, the adsorption of saponins on a macroporous resin column chromatograph, a critical unit operation in Panax notoginseng(Burkill) F.H.Chen injection manufacturing, was considered as an example. The evaluation results of in-line ultraviolet and visible spectra combined with various multivariate analysis methods, including the moving block standard deviation(MBSD), difference between the moving block average and the target spectrum(DMBA-TS), soft-independent modeling of class analogy(SIMCA), and partial least-squares discriminant analysis(PLS-DA), were compared.Results: MBSD was unsuitable for adsorption processes. The relative standard errors of prediction between the predicted and experimental endpoints were 13.2%, 4.67%, and 5.71% using DMBA-TS, SIMCA, and PLS-DA, respectively.Conclusions: Among the considered analysis methods, SIMCA and PLS-DA were more effective for endpoint determination. The results of this study provide a more comprehensive overview of the effectiveness of various multivariate analysis methods to facilitate the selection of the most suitable method. This study was also conducive to address the issues of the in-line detection of adsorption endpoints to guide practical HM manufacturing.

Herbal medicine in the treatment of COVID-19 based on the gut-lung axis

Respiratory symptoms are most commonly experienced by patients in the early stages of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). However, with a better understanding of COVID-19, gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea, and vomiting haveattracted increasing attention. The gastrointestinal tract may be a target organ of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection. The intestinal microecological balance is a crucial factor for homeostasis, including immunity andinflammation, which are closely related to COVID-19. Herbal medicine can restore intestinal function and regulate the gut florastructure. Herbal medicine has a long history of treating lung diseases from the perspective of the intestine, which is called thegut-lung axis. The physiological activities of guts and lungs influence each other through intestinal flora, microflora metabolites,and mucosal immunity. Microecological modulators are included in the diagnosis and treatment protocols for COVID-19. Inthis review, we demonstrate the relationship between COVID-19 and the gut, gut-lung axis, and the role of herbal medicine intreating respiratory diseases originating from the intestinal tract. It is expected that the significance of herbal medicine in treatingrespiratory diseases from the perspective of the intestinal tract could lead to new ideas and methods for treatment.

Network pharmacology approaches for research of Traditional Chinese Medicines

Pharmacodynamics material basis and effective mechanisms are the two main issues to decipher the mechnisms of action of Traditional Chinese medicines(TCMs)for the treatment of diseases.TCMs,in“multi-component,multi-target,multi-pathway”paradigm,show satisfactory clinical results in complex diseases.New ideas and methods are urgently needed to explain the complex interactions between TCMs and diseases.Network pharmacology(NP)provides a novel paradigm to uncover and visualize the underlying interaction networks of TCMs against multifactorial diseases.The development and application of NP has promoted the safety,efficacy,and mechanism investigations of TCMs,which then reinforces the credibility and popularity of TCMs.The current organcentricity of medicine and the“one disease-one target-one drug”dogma obstruct the understanding of complex diseases and the development of effective drugs.Therefore,more attentions should be paid to shift from“phenotype and symptom”to“endotype and cause”in understanding and redefining current diseases.In the past two decades,with the advent of advanced and intelligent technologies(such as metabolomics,proteomics,transcriptomics,single-cell omics,and artificial intelligence),NP has been improved and deeply implemented,and presented its great value and potential as the next drug-discovery paradigm.NP is developed to cure causal mechanisms instead of treating symptoms.This review briefly summarizes the recent research progress on NP application in TCMs for efficacy research,mechanism elucidation,target prediction,safety evaluation,drug repurposing,and drug design.

Development and validation of global prediction models for monitoring the manufacturing process of herbal medicine by ultraviolet spectroscopy

Objective: Process monitoring for traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) preparations is necessary to ensure the quality of the product. A typical pharmaceutical process of TCM preparations consists of multiple manufacturing units, such as ethanol precipitation, concentration, and water precipitation, among others. Compared with the traditional practice of one prediction model for one unit, the global model covers the variation from samples with different backgrounds or processes and can be used to monitor intermediates from substeps.Methods: We used ultraviolet(UV) spectroscopy to establish global models for a typical TCM preparation-Danhong injection.The concentrations of danshensu, protocatechualdehyde, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A, salvianolic acid B, and hydroxyl safflor yellow A and the total phenolic and total sugar contents were quantified for every intermediate from operation units of Danhong injection. New samples prepared by mixing different intermediates were introduced for the calibration set to cover more variations. An accuracy profile was employed to validate the developed method from the aspects of specificity, trueness, precision,accuracy, linearity, and robustness.Results: The developed models showed a high determination coefficient(R2) value up to 0.97 and a low root-mean-square error of the prediction set. Five components of the models passed all validation tests, whereas the total sugar was not suitable for modeling with UV and did not apply to the whole process.Conclusions: This study indicates that the global models of UV spectroscopy for the quantitative determination of phenolic acids are feasible and reliable with a simple, rapid, and non-destructive method.Graphical abstract: http://links.lww.com/AHM/A22.

The role and advantage of traditional Chinese medicine in the prevention and treatment of COVID-19

The global coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic has had a massive impact on global social and economic development and human health.By combining traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)with modern medicine,the Chinese government has protected public health by supporting all phases of COVID-19 prevention and treatment,including community prevention,clinical treatment,control of disease progression,and promotion of recovery.Modern medicine focuses on viruses,while TCM focuses on differential diagnosis of patterns associated with viral infection of the body and recommends the use of TCM decoctions for differential treatment.This differential diagnosis and treatment approach,with its profoundly empirical nature and holistic view,endows TCM with an accessibility advantage and high application value for dealing with COVID-19.Here,we summarize the advantage of and evidence for TCM use in COVID-19 prevention and treatment to draw attention to the scientific value and accessibility advantage of TCM and to promote the use of TCM in response to public health emergencies.

Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine launched:building a bridge between traditional and modern medicine

In 2021,Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine(AHM)in English is officially published by Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine and China Association of Chinese Medicine.AHM is a peer-reviewed,diamond open-access international journal dedicated to publishing high quality research in the field of acupuncture and herbal medicine.The types of publication considered are editorial,review article,original article,guidelines and standards,commentary,short communications,case report,methodology,and letter to the editor.Featured by evidence-based medicine researches,AHM publishes innovative studies on acupuncture and herbal medicine,promotes academic exchanges,and drives the transformation of research achievements to serve the international development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM)and establish the frontrunner journal for international communication of traditional medicine.

Pharmacodynamic advantages and characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine in prevention and treatment of ischemic stroke

Ischemic stroke(IS) is a severe cerebrovascular disease with a high incidence, mortality, and disability rate. The first-line treatment for IS is the use of recombinant tissue plasminogen activator(r-t PA).Regrettably, numerous patients encounter delays in treatment due to the narrow therapeutic window and the associated risk of hemorrhage. Traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has exhibited distinct advantages in preventing and treating IS. TCM enhances cerebral microcirculation, alleviates neurological disorders, regulates energy metabolism, mitigates infammation, reduces oxidative stress injuries, and inhibits apoptosis, thereby mitigating brain damage and preventing IS recurrence. This article summarizes the etiology, pathogenesis, therapeutic strategies, and relationship with modern biology of IS from the perspective of TCM, describes the advantages of TCM in the treatment of IS, and further reviews the pharmacodynamic characteristics and advantages of TCM in the acute and recovery phases of IS as well as in post-stroke complications. Additionally, it offers valuable insights and references for the clinical application of TCM in IS prevention and treatment, as well as for the development of novel drugs.

Regulation of innate and adaptive immunity using herbal medicine:benefits for the COVID-19 vaccination

Vaccination is a major achievement that has become an effective prevention strategy against infectious diseases and active control of emerging pathogens worldwide.In response to the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19)pandemic,several diverse vaccines against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 have been developed and deployed for use in a large number of individuals,and have been reported to protect against symptomatic COVID-19 cases and deaths.However,the application of vaccines has a series of limitations,including protective failure for variants of concern,unavailability of individuals due to immune deficiency,and the disappearance of immune protection for increasing infections in vaccinated individuals.These aspects raise the question of how to modulate the immune system that contributes to the COVID-19 vaccine protective effects.Herbal medicines are widely used for their immune regulatory abilities in clinics.More attractively,herbal medicines have been well accepted for their positive role in the COVID-19 prevention and suppression through regulation of the immune system.This review presents a brief overview of the strategy of COVID-19 vaccination and the response of the immune system to vaccines,the regulatory effects and mechanisms of herbal medicine in immune-related macrophages,natural killer cells,dendritic cells,and lymphocytes T and B cells,and how they help vaccines work.Later in the article,the potential role and application of herbal medicines in the most recent COVID-19 vaccination are discussed.This article provides new insights into herbal medicines as promising alternative supplements that may benefit from COVID-19 vaccination.