[Challenges and choices: translational acupuncture research spectrum-a proposal].

For more than half a century，the modern bioresearch in acupuncture has made remarkable advancements, proving scientific basis underlying the traditional, intuitive treatment, as well as leading to some new discoveries with the potential to enhance the effectiveness of acupuncture as we know it. Meanwhile, the clinical researches have started to shift its paradigm from traditional individual observation to modern evidence-based medicine. However, there is little interaction between basic and clinic researches, which are like two separate worlds, not benefiting each other. Also the education and training of acupuncture are still traditional style, little combining with modern studies. To bridging the large gap, we need translational science involving in. In this article, with a critical reviews of the limitations of the traditional methods of acupuncture, the challenges faced by clinic practices and placebo-control studies, and the advantages and disadvantages of basic research, we propose a methodological paradigm of the translational research, Translational Acupuncture Research Spectrum, that meets the current situation of acupuncture researches, hoping to give insights into this field and to promote modern acupuncture to move towards a new stage.

[The significance of "A neuroanatomical basis for electroacupuncture to drive the vagal-adrenal axis" published in Nature for acupuncture research].

October 2021, Nature published an original research article entitled A neuroanatomical basis for electroacupuncture to drive the vagal-adrenal axis, which draws great attention and arouses extensive discussion in the acupuncture field. Based on previous findings, this study demonstrates that the abundant innervation of PROKR2-Cre neurons in deep fascia tissues mediates the anti-inflammatory effect induced by low-intensity electroacupuncture stimulation at "Zusanli"（ST36） or "Shousanli"(LI10) via the "vagal-adrenal axis". This study is one of milestones in the field of acupuncture basic research and represents a great achievement generated by multi-discipline integration of acupuncture and neuro-immunology. It reveals partial contributing factors involved in acupuncture's effect and the relative specificity of the neuroanatomical basis of acupoints in the context of immune modulation. This study is both very informative and instructive for the innovation and clinical translation of future acupuncture research. Acupuncture researchers are recommended to attach great importance to this study in terms of its research strategy,methods and findings.

[Discussion on Acupuncture as adjunctive therapy for chronic stable angina: a randomized clinical trial published in JAMA Internal Medicine].

Professor LIANG Fan-rong's team from Chengdu University of TCM published Acupuncture as adjunctive therapy for chronic stable angina: a randomized clinical trial in JAMA Internal Medicine on July 29, 2019, which demonstrates that acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy is safety and effective for mild and moderate chronic stable angina. Sixteen experts at home and abroad conducted serious discussions on the research design, evaluation methods, principles and mechanisms, clinical significance and enlightenment of future acupuncture research, and provided practical suggestions for acupuncture and moxibustion to go global and gain international recognition.

[Progresses of studies on disease factors influencing the therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on bronchial asthma].

The authors preliminarily analyze and compare influence of different stages of attack and remission, different syndrome types, and age of the patient, duration of illness, state of illness on the therapeutic effects of acupuncture and moxibustion for treatment of bronchial asthma by analysis and summarization of 381 clinical papers about acupuncture and moxibustion treatment of bronchial asthma. It is found that most studies hold that acupuncture has better therapeutic effect on asthma at acute stage, and moxibustion has a better effect at the remission stage. Acupuncture and moxibustion have a better effect on cold asthma than hot asthma, and the shorter the course of disease and the younger, the better the effect, conversely, the effect is worse. Mild asthma is the main indication of acupuncture and moxibustion, but considerable more clinical studies show that above factors have no obvious influence on the therapeutic effect, even show contrary to this result. It is indicated that in the studies from now on, only strictly design and fully consider the effects of various factors, can scientifically reveal various disease factors influencing therapeutic effect of acupuncture and moxibustion on bronchial asthma, and expound the indications of different acupuncture and moxibustion methods for treatment of bronchial asthma.

[Comparison between western trigger point of acupuncture and traditional acupoints].

Trigger point theory as the soul of western acupuncture is very similar to acupoint theory of traditional acupuncture and moxibustion science. After comparison, it is found that over 92% of trigger points (235/255) is corresponding to acupoints in anatomy, and the local pain treated by 79.5% acupoints are similar to corresponding myofascial trigger point. Both of them can induce similar linear propagation of needling response, with complete uniform or basically complete uniform of 76%, and a part uniform of 14%; next, both of them can treat symptoms of internal organs such as diarrhea, constipation, dysmenorrhea, etc. Therefore, they are very similar in anatomic location, clinical indications, and the linear propagation of needling response induced by acupuncture, etc.