-Conference Summary of the "Forum on Modern Cutting-Edge Technologies Facilitating the Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine" at Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine

JIN Honglei¹, ZHANG Lei², ZHENG Xiao³, WANG Chuanxi⁴, YANG Hua³, ZHAO Lu⁵, JIANG Chao⁶, MEI Lin⁷, XIAO Ying⁸, WU Hao⁹, FAN Xingxing¹⁰, LU Linlin¹, WANG Caiyan¹, SHEN Qi¹, CHEN Yijun¹, WANG Hongbin¹

(1. Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, Guangzhou 510006, Guangdong, China; 2. Naval Medical University, Shanghai 200433, China; 3. China Pharmaceutical University, Nanjing 210009, Jiangsu, China; 4. Jinan University, Guangzhou 510632, Guangdong, China; 5. Zhejiang University, Hangzhou 310058, Zhejiang, China; 6. Chinese Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing 100700, China; 7. Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing 100730, China; 8. Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Shanghai 201203, China; 9. Sun Yat-sen University, Guangzhou 510275, Guangdong, China; 10. Macau University of Science and Technology, Macao SAR 999078, China)
 

Abstract

The forum "Modern Cutting-Edge Technologies Facilitating the Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine Drugs," hosted by Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine, was held in Guangzhou on December 28, 2024. Frontline researchers from multiple domestic universities and research institutions engaged in in-depth discussions on how modern cutting-edge technologies can support the innovative development of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) drugs. Key issues included the sustainable development of TCM drug resources, the integration of multi-omics technologies, the application of big data and artificial intelligence, and interdisciplinary innovation. The forum sought to deepen the integration of modern science and technology with traditional TCM theories, thereby clarifying mechanisms of action, optimizing cultivation techniques for TCM drug resources, improving overall quality standards, and promoting the modernization and internationalization of TCM drugs.

Keywords: traditional Chinese medicine drug resources; new traditional Chinese medicine drugs; standard establishment; material basis; regulatory mechanism; modernization of traditional Chinese medicine; artificial intelligence; expert forum

 

 

Main Text 

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) resources are an important component of the Chinese nation's traditional medicine. They not only embody profound cultural heritage, but also serve as a major pillar supporting China's medical and health sector [1][1][1]. China has a vast territory and diverse climates, providing favorable natural conditions for the growth of TCM resources. According to statistics [2][2][2], among the existing categories of TCM resources in China, botanical medicines account for a large proportion. Local governments and enterprises have been working to domesticate and cultivate wild medicinal materials. To date, more than 300 commonly used TCM medicinal materials have been successfully cultivated artificially, and 257 new varieties of TCM medicinal plants have been bred. China has also established 28 seed/seedling propagation bases for TCM medicinal materials and two germplasm resource banks, forming a long-term mechanism for the protection and sustainable utilization of TCM resources.

Against the broader backdrop of TCM modernization and globalization, the development of TCM resources faces unprecedented challenges and opportunities [3][3][3]. First, in recent years, as the market scale of the medicinal materials industry continues to expand, the quality evaluation system for TCM still needs further improvement. Second, competition in the medicinal materials sector is increasingly diversified while also becoming more concentrated, yet the proportion of new technologies applied in TCM resource development and utilization remains low. Third, systematic research remains insufficient regarding the pharmacodynamic material basis and regulatory mechanisms underlying TCM's holistic therapeutic effects; as a result, the capacity for creating innovative TCM drugs remains relatively weak. In addition, many aspects of TCM research-across theory, methods, and technology-remain non-standardized and urgently require strengthening.

To promote innovative development and enhance the competitiveness of TCM in the international pharmaceutical market, Guangzhou University of Chinese Medicine hosted the "Forum on Modern Cutting-Edge Technologies Facilitating the Innovative Development of Traditional Chinese Medicine" in Guangzhou on December 28, 2024. Together with frontline researchers from multiple universities and institutions in China, the forum conducted in-depth discussions on "several key issues in TCM resource development and new TCM drug creation." The aim was to better elucidate mechanisms of action, optimize cultivation technologies, improve overall quality, and comprehensively advance the modernization and internationalization of TCM by integrating modern technologies with traditional TCM theories.

1. TCM Resource Development, Comprehensive Utilization, and Standards Establishment

1.1 Advancing standardized cultivation and conservation of TCM resources

With growing environmental awareness and the deepening of sustainable development concepts, protection of TCM resources is becoming a top priority in the development of TCM. The forum emphasized that modern cutting-edge technologies should be used to enable precise development and efficient utilization of TCM resources, reduce over-reliance on natural resources, and avoid destructive exploitation-thereby achieving sustainable development of TCM resources [4][4][4].

Experts proposed multiple concrete measures:

Strengthen protection of wild resources; promote standardized cultivation and breeding technologies for medicinal materials; integrate artificial cultivation with guided nurturing of wild resources; and improve quality supervision to increase both yield and quality, enabling sustainable utilization.

Optimize planting technologies to reduce the use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides; increase soil and crop carbon sinks; and effectively reduce carbon emissions, supporting green development in the medicinal materials industry.

Recognize the significance of circular utilization of TCM resources for achieving China's "dual-carbon" goals, and build systems to recycle and valorize waste from medicinal materials-transforming waste into resources and further advancing circular utilization and sustainable industrial development.

 

1.2 Promoting technological innovation and industrial upgrading in TCM

Modern cutting-edge technologies can reveal the latent value of TCM resources, help discover new medicinal components, and optimize the application of traditional medicines, thereby promoting innovative development of TCM resources [5][5][5]. The forum identified core directions for advancing this agenda:

Establish a systematic and detailed quality database for TCM resources. Collect, organize, and analyze information on varieties, production regions, and quality, and combine big-data technologies to conduct dynamic monitoring and early warning of quality risks-promptly identifying and handling quality problems and providing scientific evidence for regulatory work.

Increase investment in R&D for quality testing technologies. On the one hand, continuously improve modern separation, extraction, and purification technologies to more accurately isolate active components and enhance efficacy and safety. On the other, develop advanced detection methods and equipment-using modern biotechnology, chromatography, spectroscopy, and related approaches-to rapidly test active ingredients and harmful substances, improving accuracy and efficiency.

Improve cultivation technologies and establish digital/intelligent standardized cultivation bases, enabling precision planting, smart processing, and efficient management to further enhance quality and yield [6][6][6].

 

1.3 Strengthening policy guidance and regulatory oversight for TCM

Using modern technological means to achieve full-process monitoring and quality traceability is a key pathway for ensuring the stability and safety of medicinal material quality, and will provide a solid foundation for TCM modernization and internationalization. Forum reports proposed multi-dimensional strategies for improving policies and strengthening supervision:

First, establish and improve laws and regulations related to TCM resource quality supervision, and build an effective regulatory system to ensure regulation is law-based [7][7][7].
Second, set up dedicated regulatory bodies for TCM resource quality, clarify their responsibilities and authority, and define quality standards and specifications across all stages-from cultivation, harvesting, and processing to distribution-ensuring professionalism and independence and enabling comprehensive monitoring and accurate assessment.
Third, enhance coordination among agencies such as drug regulation, agriculture, and forestry, creating effective communication and coordination mechanisms to form regulatory synergy. At the same time, increase penalties for illegal activities to raise the cost of non-compliance and strengthen accountability at the institutional level.
Finally, promote joint efforts by government and the market: governments should introduce more supportive policies (e.g., fiscal subsidies and tax incentives) to encourage R&D investment and industrial upgrading, while leveraging market mechanisms-competition and survival of the fittest-to drive healthy industry development.

1.4 Advancing internationalization and diversified development of TCM

Application of modern technologies is a core driver of industrial upgrading. It can make quality control, mechanism research, and manufacturing processes more scientific and standardized. At the same time, actively participating in international regulatory cooperation and jointly developing quality standards and norms can enhance the international competitiveness of China's quality supervision of TCM resources [8][8][8].

Forum reports analyzed "breakthroughs in internationalization" and "expansion through diversification," proposing the following practical pathways:

Proactively showcase China's achievements and experience in TCM resource quality regulation, and strengthen international exchange and cooperation to enhance global influence, recognition, and trust.

Expand application scenarios in a diversified way: beyond traditional medicine, TCM resources should also extend into health products, cosmetics, foods, and other fields.

Encourage enterprises to conduct modernization research, develop new TCM drugs and TCM health products, and increase value added and core competitiveness.

2. Understanding the Material Basis and Regulatory Mechanisms of TCM Based on Its Traditional Characteristics, and Creating New Drugs

2.1 Explaining modern pharmacological effects through holistic research strategies

"Unity of nature and humanity" is a foundational idea in TCM diagnosis and treatment, and holism and systems thinking are basic approaches in TCM research. Forum reports emphasized that integrating modern research methods with traditional TCM theories is key to precisely elucidating mechanisms of action.

The reports proposed multi-dimensional directions for scientific interpretation of modern pharmacological effects:

Considering TCM's complex component structures, diverse biological targets, and synergistic integrated treatment characteristics, establish a system describing synergistic and antagonistic relationships between TCM components and biological targets, to clarify their core role in mechanisms of action [9][9][9]. The system should also incorporate research on TCM's regulation of emotion-related states and gut microbiota homeostasis, providing broader scientific guidance for interpreting modern pharmacological connotations [10][10][10].

Develop distinctive research pathways that integrate "disease–syndrome–formula–herb" with modern pharmacology, such as research combining disease and syndrome and matching formulas to syndromes [11][11][11], to establish pharmacological research systems consistent with TCM characteristics and to guide standardization and scientific rigor.

2.2 Modern TCM R&D methods featuring multiple components, multiple targets, and multiple pathways

Many active molecules derived from natural products or endogenous substances have broad pharmacological effects, yet their mechanisms and targets remain unclear. Traditional drug design strategies emphasizing "high selectivity and high affinity" are not fully consistent with biological network homeostasis mechanisms [12][12][12], and may have limitations in efficacy or safety for chronic complex diseases.

Forum reports affirmed TCM's clinical characteristics and notable advantages in chronic disease prevention and treatment, offering useful thinking and effective approaches to overcoming these R&D difficulties. The reports highlighted that combination drugs guided by TCM active substance groups and their targets represent one important direction in modern new-drug research in TCM [13][13][13]. At the same time, the reports also confronted key existing problems: lack of a theory-and-method system for TCM-derived combination drugs; absence of systematic evaluation and approval pathways; and the major difficulty of clarifying how multi-component, multi-target action patterns relate intrinsically to the body's homeostatic regulatory principles.

2.3 Establishing and improving a multimodal system evaluation framework for TCM

Systems biology thinking and techniques are important tools for analyzing how TCM restores multi-organ homeostasis and produces holistic regulatory effects. They have potential value for identifying active substances and targets underlying clinical efficacy and for advancing combination drug development [14][14][14].

Forum reports identified key technical directions supporting the development of a multimodal system evaluation framework:

Develop high-resolution, real-time visualization and analysis technologies for biosynthesis to reveal key signaling molecules and fine regulatory rules in organ crosstalk and internal homeostatic control [15][15][15].

Develop target-discovery and interaction-decoding technologies for endogenous and exogenous active substances that differ in affinity, dynamic conformations, and signal selectivity, to help reveal the multi-stage and multi-target scientific connotations of TCM [16][16][16].

Explore multi-dimensional spatiotemporal integration mechanism analysis technologies for target sets, to identify the active material basis underlying synergistic, antagonistic, and compensatory effects among multiple components.

Expand methods for analyzing signaling transmission patterns in organelles, between cells, and across organs (neural, metabolic, and immune signaling), to enable dynamic and holistic observation of TCM's multi-dimensional signal modulation.

2.4 Improving TCM quality and developing new drugs based on TCM property theory

The relationship between TCM property theory and modernization research represents a process of integrating traditional medical wisdom with modern science and technology; the two promote each other and develop together [17][17][17]. Forum reports emphasized that TCM property theory (e.g., four qi and five flavors, meridian tropism, ascending/descending/floating/sinking) is the core guiding principle for clinical application. Modernization research uses scientific methods to reveal underlying mechanisms, improving standardization, controllability, and international recognition.

The reports proposed practical pathways for quality improvement based on TCM property theory:

Research on TCM properties can guide the production of high-quality medicinal materials from the perspective of resource quality improvement.

TCM properties can serve as a bridge between basic research and clinical practice. Through integrated prediction using physical/chemical analysis, bioinformatics, clinical big data, and AI, it is possible not only to improve quality but also to build syndrome-differentiation analysis and R&D strategies consistent with TCM diagnostic and therapeutic characteristics-crucial for "upholding fundamentals while innovating."

Build a multi-dimensional association model linking "properties–components–effects," and combine it with machine learning to analyze correlations between "warm/hot/cold/cool" and chemical components, as well as the developmental规律 of plant growth [18][18][18]. This model respects the core value of traditional theory while empowering it with modern technology, supporting a shift from "experience-based medication" to "precision medicine," and contributing to the establishment of a Chinese-characteristic "future pharmacology of TCM."

3. New Trends in Modern Scientific Research on TCM for Disease Prevention and Treatment

3.1 Multi-omics integration to reveal the scientific connotations of TCM

In the inheritance and development of TCM, the principle should be "inherit without being constrained by antiquity, and develop without departing from the fundamentals." Under TCM theoretical guidance, new elements should be actively integrated and appropriate methodological innovations should be made.

Systems biology methods such as metabolomics and proteomics have been widely used in studying disease pathology and the mechanisms of TCM, and can comprehensively reveal the dynamic process through which TCM exerts efficacy [19][19][19]. TCM serum pharmacology provides new approaches for identifying the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanisms of action [20][20][20]. Research based on concepts such as the lung–gut axis and brain–gut axis, examining pharmacological mechanisms from the perspective of gut microbiota modulation, also represents a new breakthrough direction [21][21][21]. In addition, network pharmacology has provided a new perspective for systematically revealing components and targets in TCM research. Overall, integrated multi-omics technologies can reveal mechanisms at the molecular level, clarify action characteristics, and-through multi-omics network construction and data analysis-hold major significance for TCM modernization research.

3.2 Breaking conventional thinking and strengthening interdisciplinary integration to overcome bottlenecks

Using research on metabolic regulatory mechanisms as an example, forum reports pointed out that TCM substance groups and endogenous metabolites often exist as homologous components with similar core structures. In their interactions with the body, both show "multi-component–multi-target" integrative regulation patterns and characteristics of "low selectivity/weak binding."

A large body of research shows that TCM components such as polysaccharides and flavonoids can regulate endogenous metabolites both qualitatively and quantitatively through host–microbiota co-metabolic systems, thereby influencing the immune, nervous, and endocrine systems and producing "remote" or "indirect" regulatory effects [22][22][22]. This indicates chemical and biological similarities between TCM components and endogenous metabolites. Taking endogenous metabolic signals as messengers for transmitting TCM effects may provide an entry point for elucidating the pharmacodynamic material basis and mechanisms [23][23][23], and may offer new ideas for enriching the scientific connotations of TCM theories such as "interior–exterior relationships of organs" and "treating different diseases with the same therapy" from the perspective of modern biology.

The reports further emphasized the need to integrate systems biology technologies, break through target discovery techniques for metabolic signaling molecules and TCM active components, and establish new technologies such as chemical proteomics [24][24][24]. By decoding multi-dimensional mechanisms-including affinity, conformational regulation, spatiotemporal regulation of target protein groups, and binding spectra of structural analogs-researchers can reveal holistic action patterns involving alternative compensatory pathways and positive/negative feedback pathways. This would help break through mechanistic understanding of synergistic integrative actions of TCM combination components and provide a scientific foundation for TCM-derived combination drug development.

3.3 Modern TCM R&D based on big data and AI

For a long time, the connotations and mechanisms of TCM have lacked clear standards. Pharmacological research has mainly proceeded by mining chemical components, exploring compatibility规律, and investigating mechanisms [25][25][25]. Further standardizing medication-use standards is crucial for advancing TCM modernization.

Currently, many databases and platforms-represented by the Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology Database and Analysis Platform (TCMSP)-have been established, providing rich data support and analytical algorithms. Network pharmacology emerged accordingly, with the core concept of TCM's "multi-component–multi-target" mechanisms.

For example, in exploring medication-use patterns and mechanisms for patented compound prescriptions for lung cancer, one study [26][26][26] used the "Ancient and Modern Medical Case Platform" for data mining, constructed a "TCM–component–target–pathway–disease" network using the STRING database and Cytoscape software, identified 11 core components and 10 core targets, and performed molecular docking validation-suggesting that six herbs including Astragalus membranaceus (Huangqi) and Scutellaria barbata (Banzhilian) exert therapeutic effects on lung cancer via multiple components, targets, and pathways.

In addition, AI can participate across the entire R&D pipeline-from discovering disease mechanism targets and predicting protein structures to clinical trials and predicting clinical success rates. AI and big-data analytics can accelerate screening and development of new TCM drugs. Through pattern recognition and machine learning, researchers can rapidly identify active components, predict targets, and optimize drug design [27][27][27]. Big data can also help analyze massive clinical-use data to uncover potential drug interactions and adverse reactions, supporting rational use of TCM [28][28][28].

3.4 Other topics

Beyond the above core issues, the forum also discussed: the development and application of novel drug delivery systems for TCM; promotion of intelligent manufacturing and blockchain and other technological methods in traceability and quality improvement; connecting basic research with standardized market production; and building systematic industrial chain frameworks. The forum reached a consensus that these directions are also vital to the sustained, healthy, and high-speed development of TCM.

 

4. Conclusion

Centered on the theme of "modern cutting-edge technologies facilitating innovative development of TCM," this forum conducted in-depth discussions on key directions including sustainable development of TCM resources, integration of multi-omics technologies, application of big data and AI, and interdisciplinary innovation.

Facing the many challenges in TCM modernization, the forum clarified that future efforts should involve deeper planning and increased investment in: sustainable utilization and industrial upgrading of TCM resources; paradigm transformation in TCM drug R&D grounded in material basis and modern pharmacology; and building international discourse power for TCM research methodologies. Through technology empowerment, the forum advocated building a closed-loop development pathway of "ecological protection-efficient production-global deployment," addressing issues such as resource depletion and market fragmentation.

In light of the research characteristics of TCM, the forum affirmed the importance of a holistic perspective that guides reductionist approaches. It emphasized constructing a spiraling, upward-moving new drug development system characterized by "data-driven-mechanism elucidation-clinical validation," to bridge the gap between traditional experience and modern science.

The forum also advocated developing a methodological innovation chain that aligns TCM research with international output standards-transforming TCM's "syndrome differentiation and treatment" thinking into scientific language that is quantifiable and replicable, and helping reshape a new global health governance landscape. The forum agreed that modern technology supporting TCM is not a negation of tradition, but rather a concrete embodiment of "upholding fundamentals while innovating," balancing traditional wisdom with modern science and technology. This approach enables millennia-old wisdom to renew its vitality in the contemporary era and contribute a "China solution" to human health. Looking ahead, all sectors should work together to promote deep integration of TCM and modern technologies, proactively address existing issues and challenges, grasp future trends, and face the opportunities and tests brought by market changes and technological progress-contributing wisdom and strength to the inheritance and development of TCM.

 

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