Elemene Antitumor Drugs Development Based on "Molecular Compatibility Theory" and Clinical Application: A Retrospective and Prospective Outlook.

Elemene, derived from Curcuma wenyujin, one of the "8 famous genuine medicinal materials of Zhejiang province," exhibits remarkable antitumor activity. It has gained wide recognition in clinical practice for effectiveness on tumors. Dr. XIE Tian, introduced the innovative concept of "molecular compatibility theory" by combining Chinese medicine principles, specifically the "monarch, minister, assistant, and envoy" theory, with modern biomedical technology. This groundbreaking approach, along with a systematic analysis of Chinese medicine and modern biomedical knowledge, led to the development of elemene nanoliposome formulations. These novel formulations offer numerous advantages, including low toxicity, well-defined composition, synergistic effects on multiple targets, and excellent biocompatibility. Following the principles of the "molecular compatibility theory", further exploration of cancer treatment strategies and methods based on elemene was undertaken. This comprehensive review consolidates the current understanding of elemene's potential antitumor mechanisms, recent clinical investigations, advancements in drug delivery systems, and structural modifications. The ultimate goal of this review is to establish a solid theoretical foundation for researchers, empowering them to develop more effective antitumor drugs based on the principles of "molecular compatibility theory".

Anti-inflammatory and analgesic activity analysis of Qizhi Weitong Granules based on network pharmacology / 中草药

Objective: The target of anti-inflammatory and analgesic active components of Qizhi Weitong Granules was predicted by network pharmacology method, and the effect of multi-component-multi-target-multi-pathways on TCM-complexation theory was analyzed. Methods: The main chemical constituents of six Chinese medicines in Qizhi Weitong Granules were collected based on the TCMSP Chinese Medicine System Biological Analysis Database and analyzed by LC-MS. The main target of each component was predicted by TCMSP search and Pharmmapper software. The relationship between drug, target and inflammatory pain target was established by DIP database and protein interaction information. In order to elucidate the main mechanism of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Qizhi Weitong Granules, the network of “drug-target-disease” was constructed and the target of anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Qizhi Weitong Granules were analyzed by network characteristics. Results: Through the network analysis, a total of 44 inflammatory targets were closely related to Qizhi Weitong Granules, of which 20 were directly targeted, mainly for the action of proteases such as COX-2 and iNOS. The mechanism may be related to the regulation of TNF signaling pathway, NOD-like receptor signaling pathways, VEGF signaling pathways and other signaling pathways closely related to inflammation. Conclusion: The anti-inflammatory and analgesic effects of Qizhi Weitong Granules reflect the multi-component, multi-target and multi-pathway characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine. This study provides a scientific basis for further understanding the anti-inflammatory and analgesic mechanism of Qizhi Weitong Granules and explains the scientificity of the traditional Chinese medicine compatibility theory.

Systems Pharmacology Dissection of Multi-Scale Mechanisms of Action of Huo-Xiang-Zheng-Qi Formula for the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Diseases.

Multi-components Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treats various complex diseases (multi-etiologies and multi-symptoms) via herbs interactions to exert curative efficacy with less adverse effects. However, the ancient Chinese compatibility theory of herbs formula still remains ambiguous. Presently, this combination principle is dissected through a systems pharmacology study on the mechanism of action of a representative TCM formula, Huo-xiang-zheng-qi (HXZQ) prescription, on the treatment of functional dyspepsia (FD), a chronic or recurrent clinical disorder of digestive system, as typical gastrointestinal (GI) diseases which burden human physical and mental health heavily and widely. In approach, a systems pharmacology platform which incorporates the pharmacokinetic and pharmaco-dynamics evaluation, target fishing and network pharmacological analyses is employed. As a result, 132 chemicals and 48 proteins are identified as active compounds and FD-related targets, and the mechanism of HXZQ formula for the treatment of GI diseases is based on its three function modules of anti-inflammation, immune protection and gastrointestinal motility regulation mainly through four, i.e., PIK-AKT, JAK-STAT, Toll-like as well as Calcium signaling pathways. In addition, HXZQ formula conforms to the ancient compatibility rule of "Jun-Chen-Zuo-Shi" due to the different, while cooperative roles that herbs possess, specifically, the direct FD curative effects of GHX (serving as Jun drug), the anti-bacterial efficacy and major accompanying symptoms-reliving bioactivities of ZS and BZ (as Chen), the detoxication and ADME regulation capacities of GC (as Shi), as well as the minor symptoms-treating efficacy of the rest 7 herbs (as Zuo). This work not only provides an insight of the therapeutic mechanism of TCMs on treating GI diseases from a multi-scale perspective, but also may offer an efficient way for drug discovery and development from herbal medicine as complementary drugs.