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Landmark Commentary on Traditional Chinese Medicine Published in Prestigious Journal Signals Global Shift in Medical Research
05 Mar 2025
A significant commentary titled "Elevating Traditional Chinese Medicine in Global Health Research: The Case for Chinese Herbal Medicine Formulas in Mainstream Therapeutics" has been published in The Innovation, a leading scientific journal. Authored by Professor Aiping Lu of Hong Kong Baptist University, the paper highlights the growing recognition of Chinese herbal medicine (CHM) formulas in global medical research and calls for their integration into mainstream therapeutics.
Key Findings and Significance
The commentary underscores a surge in high-quality clinical trials investigating CHM formulas, with nearly 200 randomized controlled trials (RCTs) published in top-tier (Q1) journals over the past two decades. Notably, the recent publication of a CHM-based RCT in The Lancet—the first of its kind in the journal’s 200-year history—marks a historic milestone. The study, led by Professor Chen Wang, evaluated the efficacy of FYTF-919 (Zhongfeng Xingnao oral prescription) for treating acute intracerebral hemorrhage, demonstrating CHM’s potential in rigorous, placebo-controlled settings.
Professor Lu’s analysis emphasizes that while CHM research has historically lagged behind acupuncture studies in top medical journals, recent advancements reflect a paradigm shift. CHM’s holistic approach, which leverages multi-herb synergies, is now gaining traction alongside modern methodologies such as multi-omics, artificial intelligence, and big data analytics. However, the article also addresses challenges, including the need for improved trial design, standardized syndrome differentiation in TCM, and balanced interpretation of unexpected or "negative" results.
Meet Professor Aiping Lu: A Pioneer in TCM Research
Prof. Lyu Aiping is Vice-President (Research and Development) and Dean of the Graduate School at Hong Kong Baptist University (HKBU), as well as the Dr. Kennedy Y. H. Wong Endowed Professor in Chinese Medicine
His research focuses on integrating traditional Chinese medicine with modern biomedical disciplines, particularly in developing therapies for rheumatoid arthritis and cancer, including pioneering work on osteoblast-targeting aptamers and precision drug conjugates. He is a world-leading scientist that was elected as a Foreign Member of the Academia Europaea in 2022
In his article, Professor Lu urges the scientific community to embrace both the opportunities and complexities of CHM research, stating: "No single study can fully capture TCM’s effects. We must persist in rigorous, innovative research to unlock its potential for global health."
Global Implications
The publication signals a turning point for TCM, aligning it with global health priorities such as personalized medicine and integrative therapies. With over 40-fold growth in CHM-related clinical trials since 2005, the momentum is clear. As Professor Lu notes, "CHM is on the path to becoming a mainstream therapeutic approach—one that combines millennia of wisdom with cutting-edge science."
Paper link: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.xinn.2025.100811