The "First International Conference on Traditional Chinese Medicine: Science, Regulation and Globalization" was held from August 30 to September 2, 2000 at the University of Maryland at College Park, Maryland. There were approximately 250 participants from the Peoples Republic of China, Taiwan, Hong Kong and the United States. This objective of this conference was to promote international collaboration for the modernization of Traditional Chinese herbal medicines (TCM) and their introduction into the global health care system. It was mainly sponsored by the Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China and the NllI National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine (NCCAM). It was organized by Dr. William Tai, then director of the Institute of Global Chinese Affairs at the University of Maryland and Dr. Yuan Lin, president of Marco Polo Technologies, Bethesda, MD. This conference was conceived by Dr. Tai two years earlier recognizing that this was an appropriate time and also the unique location of the University of Maryland. Today, there is a growing recognition of the of alternative medicine in modem societies and the rapid loss of importance knowledge about traditional methods for the treatment of the multitude of human illnesses found throughout the world. TCM has been in common use in China for thousands of years; and many of its formulations are well defined.

Traditional Chinese medicine has a strong scientific basis, but the science of these important preparations is often rarely discussed. Western approaches often simplify traditional Chinese medicine to drug discovery in Chinese plants, however, the majority of traditional Chinese medications use complex mixtures of plant extracts, rather than single purified drugs. The combination of different extracts is based on yin, yang and chi theories, which are often poorly understood in the West. Yin and yang are known to be the balance of agonists and antagonists, whereas chi derives from signalling processes in the body and regulates bodily functions. Traditional Chinese medical practitioners understand that yin, yang and chi constantly interact in the body to maintain health. Western medical practitioners understand how to use agonists and antagonists and how to modify signalling processes, but generally do not accept the use of complex plant extracts to perform these functions. Aimed at medical scientists, and including detailed explanations of the theories behind the science, this text may help researchers to understand Chinese medical practitioners and to communicate more effectively with them. It will also lead to greater acceptance of traditional medications in the West. Presenting a clear rationale for the use of traditional Chinese medications in Western medical facilities, it enables scientists to find new directions in experimental design and encourage examination of these useful, but often poorly understood, preparations in clinical trials.

For over two thousand years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has made many significant contributions to China's growth and prosperity. This textbook, based on the unique characteristics of TCM, discusses its principle theories and presents a comprehensive daily practice guide for health maintenance and disease treatment. The book provides clinical practitioners with a fundamental understanding of the essence of TCM.We highly recommend this book for students interested in TCM, Chinese medicine doctors and other healthcare professionals, biomedical researchers, and interested individuals. Readers will benefit from the inspirational viewpoints discussed in the book.

After the successful introduction of acupuncture to the West, recent advances in analytical methods in chemistry, molecular biology and systems biology – especially the development of the “omic” technologies – have again brought Chinese drugs into the focus of research on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). With more than 1000 publications on the chemistry, molecular biology and pharmacology of TCM drugs in international journals over the last 10 years, Chinese drugs are gaining increasingly reputation and impact. These data offer great opportunities for the development of new pharmaceuticals for various clinical applications. International scientists have compiled relevant and trend setting research results in this book. Topics range from the latest methods of quality and safety assurance by chemical and genetic fingerprints to the development of new pharmaceuticals for a future evidence-based therapy e.g. for cancer, cardiovascular, inflammatory or infectious diseases as well as to recent experimental results on multitarget and synergy research for the preparation of multi-extract-pharmaceuticals from TCM.

Chinmedomics: The Integration of Serum Pharmacochemistry and Metabolomics to Elucidate the Scientific Value of Traditional Chinese Medicine uses new experimental techniques and research to open doors in drug discovery and development related to traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). This book features a unique approach that combines chemometric analysis with metabolomics studies to illuminate significant changes that have occurred in syndrome states while simultaneously analyzing the efficacy of chemical ingredients in herbal medicines. Chapters provide cutting-edge information on traditional medicine, analytical technology, natural products, metabolomics, bioinformatics and their applications. This book provides a valuable resource for pharmacologists, pharmaceutical scientists, medicinal plant researchers, pharmacognosists and chemists working with TCM and highlights ways to further research and advances in this area in the future. - Presents a practical guide for new practitioners of Chinmedomics with insights on the current use and future development of this method - Each chapter includes an introduction, method, references to the latest literature, possible mechanisms of action and applications - Edited by the leading experts of research related to Chinmedomics

Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years by a large population. It is currently still serving many of the health needs of the Chinese people; and still enjoying their confi dence it is practised in China in parallel with modern Western medical treatment. In addition to scientific organisations dedi cated to modern Western medicine, e. g. the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences and various medical schools, a series of parallel institutions have been established in China to promote traditional Chinese medicine, such as the Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine and training institutions. Almost all hospitals in China have a department of traditional medicine. Furthermore, a large number of scientific journals are dedicated to traditional Chinese medicine, covering both experimental and clinical investigations. Medicinal materials constitute a key topic in the treatment of disease according to traditional Chinese medicine. The Chinese Pharmacopoeia (1985 edition) is therefore divided into two sepa rate volumes, Volume I containing traditional Chinese medicinal materials and preparations and Volume II containing pharmaceu tics of Western medicine. The oldest Chinese review of medicinal materials, Shennong Bencao Jing (100-200 A. D. ), covered 365 herbal drugs. The clas sic compilation in this field, Bencao Gangmu (Compendium of Materia Medica), was published in 1578 by Li Shi-zhen and recorded as many as 1898 crude drugs of plant, animal and min eral origin.

Recognized as an essential component of Chinese culture, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is both an ancient medical system and one still used widely in China today. TCM's independently evolved knowledge system is expressed mainly in the Chinese language and the information is frequently only available through ancient classics and confidential family records, making it difficult to utilize. The major concern in TCM is how to consolidate and integrate the data, enabling efficient retrieval and discovery of novel knowledge from the dispersed data. Computational approaches such as data mining, semantic reasoning and computational intelligence have emerged as innovative approaches for the reservation and utilization of this knowledge system. Typically, this requires an inter-disciplinary approach involving Chinese culture, computer science, modern healthcare and life sciences. This book examines the computerization of TCM information and knowledge to provide intelligent resources and supporting evidences for clinical decision-making, drug discovery, and education. Recent research results from the Traditional Chinese Medicine Informatics Group of Zhejiang University are presented, gathering in one resource systematic approaches for massive data processing in TCM. These include the utilization of modern Semantic Web and data mining methods for more advanced data integration, data analysis and integrative knowledge discovery. This book will appeal to medical professionals, life sciences students, computer scientists, and those interested in integrative, complementary, and alternative medicine. - Interdisciplinary book bringing together Traditional Chinese Medicine and computer scientists - Introduces novel network technologies to Traditional Chinese Medicine informatics - Provides theory and practical examples and case studies of new techniques