Currently, available drugs for complex diseases have limitations such as unsatisfactory efficacy, drug resistance, and toxic side effects. The direction of scientific research has gradually shifted from reductive analysis to the systematic understanding of the body. Traditional medicine, based on the empirical experiences of practitioners, has been used for centuries to treat a wide variety of health conditions and represents a vast and still untapped resource for developing new medicines. The importance of emerging evidence as adjuvant treatments using traditional medicine is exemplified in the treatment of people infected with COVID-19. Overall, recent years have seen a rapid increase in the understanding and application of traditional medicine-derived herbal medicines and specific formulations for evidence-based therapy. However, it is important to recognize the bottlenecks in the development of traditional medicine, such as weak basic research and outdated key technical equipment. This is well exemplified in the research on Traditional Chinese medicine.
In recent years, researchers in traditional medicine have sought interdisciplinary collaboration with scientists in mechanobiology, biomedical engineering, and computer science. Microfluidic technology allows researchers to manipulate small volumes of fluids, often at the micrometer scale, in controlled environments. This technology can be used to recreate the microenvironment of cells and tissues, study the interactions between cells and drugs, and simulate physiological and pathological conditions. Organoids are three-dimensional structures that mimic the complexity and function of human organs and can be used to simulate disease states and drug responses. In addition, 3D printing can mimic the architecture and mechanical properties of tissues and organs and create customized drug delivery systems. Combined with artificial intelligence, innovation in the field of virtual screening contributes to an increase in both efficiency and accuracy in the process of discovering new drugs. Currently, researchers have used liver organoids and microfluidic platforms to study the effects of traditional medicines on liver function and metabolism, artificial intelligence and 3D printing technology have also been applied to traditional medicine preparations and precision medication.
The goal of this research topic is to provide a platform to advance research on the mechanisms of traditional medicine and drug development. Through the use of microfluidics, organoids, artificial intelligence, 3D printing, and other technologies, we can provide further evidence to explain the connotation of traditional medicine with modern scientific and technological methods and tools, thus promoting the integration of traditional medicine into modern medicine.
We welcome submissions of Original Research Articles, Reviews, Mini-Reviews, Methods, and Perspectives that focus on, but are not limited to, the following potential subtopics:
• Applications of Microfluidics, Organoids, Artificial Intelligence, and 3D printing in the research of traditional medicine, such as the evaluation of pharmacodynamic and toxic effects, and further understanding of the mechanism of action.
• Applications in the field of drug development.
• Future trends and directives for research on new technologies and tools in traditional medicine.
The experimental subjects could be animals, patients, and cell models. All submissions to the journal Frontiers in Pharmacology using plant extracts or preparations must also adhere to the Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology
Four Pillars of Best Practice in Ethnopharmacology (you can freely download the full version
here). Importantly, please ascertain that the ethnopharmacological context is clearly described (pillar 3d) and that the material investigated is characterized in detail (
pillars 2 a and b).
Please note the following:
1) All studies must use a therapeutically realistic dose level, and the data must be reported on the basis of the amount of extract administered. Single-dose studies are not accepted unless they focus on a species/compound not yet studied in detail and can be justified on specific ethical grounds (e.g. the 4R rule - Reduce, refine, replace – responsibility, see the Four Pillars).
2) A detailed chemical profile of the extract and pharmacognostic definition of the botanical drugs used is essential, as defined in the ConPhyMP statement 2022 (Front. Pharmacol. 13:953205.)
3 ) In silico studies like network analysis or docking studies are outside of the scope of the section and of Frontiers in Pharmacology.