Chinese scientists seek elusive 'recipe' for herbs and stem cells
An expert in infectious diseases from Shanghai has called for greater collaboration between the fields of Chinese herbal medicine and regenerative treatment, including stem cell therapy, to give China a niche in the Western-dominated field.
An expert in infectious diseases from Shanghai has called for greater collaboration between the fields of Chinese herbal medicine and regenerative treatment, including stem cell therapy, to give China a niche in the Western-dominated field.
Dr Li Chen's previous research has involved putting herbal compounds into stem cells to test whether they can trigger cell changes, and finding an extract from Chinese herbs that is effective against antibiotic-resistant bacteria.
Chen, a professor at the Shanghai Medical College of Fudan University, said he and his researchers would like to find a "special recipe" to keep cells at a certain stage. "Whether herbs can do that, we don't yet know," he told the when he was in Hong Kong last week for the AXA Assistance Medical Conference.
"If we have this kind of formula, and now we have the technology to evaluate the functions [of the herbs], there is a chance to re-evaluate the Asian formulas to see whether they work in cell therapy or not."
Regenerative medicine involves replacing or regenerating cells or tissues by stimulating the body's repair mechanisms.
While the technique is used in bone marrow transplants for cancer patients, studies are also under way on its application in curing conditions such as diabetes and heart disease.
The collaboration between Chinese herbs and regenerative medicine is still in its early stages, but Chen believes the uniqueness of traditional Chinese medicine could give the country a niche in the global field.
Dr Roger Wong Hoi-fung, a research assistant professor in chemistry from the University of Hong Kong, said some Chinese herbal compounds can be used to replace drugs for the modulation of cell changes.
"The study between herbal compounds and stem cells has been less popular as there are lots of uncertainties with the herbs. We don't know what proteins or genes would be triggered by them," said Wong, who is now studying how herbal compounds control the change of metabolic diseases and cell types.
Although Professor Albert Leung Wing-nang, head of Chinese University's school of Chinese medicine, agreed it is possible to use a Western approach to handle herbs, he stressed treatment is a totally different concept in traditional Chinese medicine.
"Traditional Chinese medicine emphasises holistic treatment rather than targeting a certain cell. Practitioners do not use a single drug but a formula [comprised of different herbs]," said Leung.
