Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy

Zhe Yu; Teng Li; Zhi Zheng; Xiya Yang; Xin Guo; Xindi Zhang; Haoying Jiang; Lin Zhu; Bo Yang; Yang Wang; Jiekun Luo; Xueping Yang; Tao Tang; En Hu

doi:10.1016/j.jpha.2025.101199

Volume 15 Issue 4

May 2025

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Article Navigation > Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis > 2025 > 15(4): 101199

Zhe Yu, Teng Li, Zhi Zheng, Xiya Yang, Xin Guo, Xindi Zhang, Haoying Jiang, Lin Zhu, Bo Yang, Yang Wang, Jiekun Luo, Xueping Yang, Tao Tang, En Hu. Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy[J]. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 2025, 15(4): 101199. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2025.101199

Citation:

Zhe Yu, Teng Li, Zhi Zheng, Xiya Yang, Xin Guo, Xindi Zhang, Haoying Jiang, Lin Zhu, Bo Yang, Yang Wang, Jiekun Luo, Xueping Yang, Tao Tang, En Hu. Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy[J]. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 2025, 15(4): 101199. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2025.101199

Citation:

Zhe Yu, Teng Li, Zhi Zheng, Xiya Yang, Xin Guo, Xindi Zhang, Haoying Jiang, Lin Zhu, Bo Yang, Yang Wang, Jiekun Luo, Xueping Yang, Tao Tang, En Hu. Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy[J]. Journal of Pharmaceutical Analysis, 2025, 15(4): 101199. doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2025.101199

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Tailoring a traditional Chinese medicine prescription for complex diseases: A novel multi-targets-directed gradient weighting strategy

doi: 10.1016/j.jpha.2025.101199

Zhe Yu^a,
Teng Li^a,
Zhi Zheng^b,c,
Xiya Yang^a,
Xin Guo^a,d,
Xindi Zhang^a,
Haoying Jiang^a,
Lin Zhu^a,
Bo Yang^a,
Yang Wang^a,
Jiekun Luo^a,
Xueping Yang^a,
Tao Tang^{e,f,g
,
,},
En Hu^{e,f,g
,
,}

a. Institute of Integrative Medicine, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China;
b. Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Jiangxi (National Regional Center for Neurological Diseases), Nanchang, 330038, China;
c. Jiangxi Provincial People's Hospital, The First Affiliated Hospital of Nanchang Medical College, Nanchang, 330038, China;
d. The First Affiliated Hospital, Children's Medical Centre, Hengyang Medical School, University of South China, Hengyang, Hunan, 421001, China;
e. Institute of Integrative Medicine, Department of Integrated Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Jiangxi (National Regional Center for Neurological Diseases), Nanchang, 330038, China;
f. NATCM Key Laboratory of TCM Gan, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China;
g. National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, 410008, China

Funds:

This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos.: 82174259 and 82304997), China Postdoctoral Followship Program of CPSF (Grant No.: GZC20233202), China Postdoctoral Science Foundation (Grant No.: 2024M753698), the Key Research and Development Program of Hunan Province of China (Grant Nos.: 2023SK2021 and 2022SK2015), the Natural Science Foundation of Hunan Province, China (Grant Nos.: 2024JJ6632, 2022JJ40853, and 2021JJ31117), the Hunan Traditional Chinese Medicine Scientific Research Program, China (Grant Nos.: B2024113, B2024114, and 2021032), and the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities of Central South University, China (Grant No.: 1053320232786).

Received Date: Jul. 10, 2024
Accepted Date: Jan. 12, 2025
Rev Recd Date: Dec. 27, 2024
Publish Date: Jan. 16, 2025

Abstract

Abstract

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) exerts integrative effects on complex diseases owing to the characteristics of multiple components with multiple targets. However, the syndrome-based system of diagnosis and treatment in TCM can easily lead to bias because of varying medication preferences among physicians, which has been a major challenge in the global acceptance and application of TCM. Therefore, a standardized TCM prescription system needs to be explored to promote its clinical application. In this study, we first developed a gradient weighted disease-target-herbal ingredient-herb network to aid TCM formulation. We tested its efficacy against intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH). First, the top 100 ICH targets in the GeneCards database were screened according to their relevance scores. Then, SymMap and Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP) databases were applied to find out the target-related ingredients and ingredient-containing herbs, respectively. The relevance of the resulting ingredients and herbs to ICH was determined by adding the relevance scores of the corresponding targets. The top five ICH therapeutic herbs were combined to form a tailored TCM prescriptions. The absorbed components in the serum were detected. In a mouse model of ICH, the new prescription exerted multifaceted effects, including improved neurological function, as well as attenuated neuronal damage, cell apoptosis, vascular leakage, and neuroinflammation. These effects matched well with the core pathological changes in ICH. The multi-targets-directed gradient-weighting strategy presents a promising avenue for tailoring precise, multipronged, unbiased, and standardized TCM prescriptions for complex diseases. This study provides a paradigm for advanced achievements-driven modern innovation in TCM concepts.
- Traditional Chinese medicine,
- Prescription formulation,
- Gradient weighting strategy,
- Multiple targets,
- Intracerebral hemorrhage

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References(37)

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