Traditional Asian Medicine

Although modern medicine is established in Asia, traditional medicine also plays a big role in people's healthcare — and is gaining in popularity in other countries too.

The concepts of Asia's traditional medicines might sound alien to Western ears, but some of them are starting to evolve to fit scientific investigation.

Systems science can provide guidance in capturing the complementary approaches to healthcare, says Jan van der Greef.

Many ingredients in traditional herbal medicines cannot be absorbed by the human gut. Could our microbial inhabitants do for us what we can't do ourselves?

The repertoire of traditional Chinese medicine could offer rich pickings for modern drug developers, but researchers must first define and test herbal concoctions.

Applying modern intellectual property standards to ancient medicines.

The editor of Nature China reports on his first visit to a traditional Chinese medicine practitioner to find out how this ancient practice is dispensed in the twenty-first century — and to see if anything can be done to relieve his back pain.

The practice of traditional medicine in Japan includes many modern techniques but faces numerous challenges — including political pressure from China.

Traditional plant-based remedies are not risk-free. Doctors and patients need to be informed about the possible side effects, says Masatomo Sakurai.

Can Western guidelines govern Eastern herbal traditions?

To investigate traditional Asian medicines properly, we need to rethink the way they are tested, say Liang Liu, Elaine Lai-Han Leung and Xiaoying Tian.

With an ingredients list that includes rhino horn and tiger bone, traditional Asian medicine is on a collision course with wildlife preservation.

Acupuncture can locally reduce pain, but it has remained unclear how it might work. Goldman et al. find that acupuncture elevates local tissue adenosine levels in a mouse model. The anti-nociceptive effect of acupuncture was absent in mice lacking the adenosine receptor A1.

Thalidomide, a drug reviled in the 1960s for its teratogenic effects, has been revived in recent years for cancer and leprosy therapy. A study now finds another use for this drug in vascular disease, providing further insights into the drug's mechanisms of action (pages 420–428).