New anti-asthma drugs based on the principle of acupuncture treatment for Asthma

Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine found the underlying principle of "acupuncture treatment of asthma", is expected to make new anti-asthma drugs that could lead to more effective targeted therapy for millions of individuals with asthma...

Acupuncture has been used as an effective alternative treatment of asthma for long time. What's the mechanism behind at the molecular level of this traditional classic acupuncture treatment formular?

Published Wednesday(Feb. 8th,2017) in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Professor Yang Yongqing from Shanghai University of Traditional Chinese Medicine led a research team about 10 years after, significant progress has been made in basic research on anti-asthma targeted drugs and acupuncture-effect substances.

In a study, published Wednesday in the journal Science Translational Medicine, Luis Ulloa, a lead author and immunologist at Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, and his collaborator from China's Shanghai University examined more than 6,000 compounds and identified a drug called TSG12 that relaxes the muscles and opens the airways in asthma.

This drug treatment, which is not toxic in human cells, can prevent pulmonary resistance in egg-and dust mite-induced asthma.

Researchers found that a protein called MT-2 in asthmatic lung tissue relaxes airway smooth muscle cells and opens the airways but MT-2 was over 50 percent lower in asthmatic lung tissue.

Ulloa and his collaborators transmitted short electrical pulses into mice through electro-acupuncture needles.

It enabled them to identify the specific drug TSG12 that provides better therapeutic treatments for asthma and other respiratory disorders.

The TSG12 treatment was more effective than current treatments, including bronchodilator inhalers used by almost all people with asthma, Ulloa said...

Looking for acupuncture for Asthma control treatments feel free to call 416-800-3978 or book an appointment online.

中醫成果登上《Science》子刊封面！上海中醫藥大學發現“針灸治療哮喘”深層原理，有望製成抗哮喘新藥

　　背部穴位入針，有效治療哮喘，這一經典名方在分子細胞層面究竟有何機理？

　　北京時間2月8日下午，國際著名期刊《科學（Science）·轉化醫學》最新一期封面文章揭開謎底——前后歷經約10年，上海中醫藥大學楊永清教授帶領科研團隊，在抗哮喘靶標和針灸效應物質的基礎研究中取得重大進展。

　　他們不僅基於針灸臨床率先發現全新的有效靶標

　　明確了體內一系列蛋白質反應

　　還找到能夠模擬針刺效應的活性小分子

　　可轉化為具有廣闊應用前景的“針灸藥”

　　《科學》主審編輯專門為論文成果做了評論

　　認為這是一篇令人振奮、引發深思的創新力作

　　解放日報·上觀新聞了解到，這是中國中醫人第一次在《科學》專業子刊發表擁有自主智慧財產權的原創性科學工作，也是中國科學家驗證的第一個支氣管哮喘新靶標。　

　　《科學·轉化醫學》論文推介。

　　本次研究的突破點在哪裏？

　　老中醫針灸方子多年來改善支氣管哮喘

　　支氣管哮喘是常見呼吸道疾病，目前常規藥物療法主要是皮質激素、β2受體激動劑類藥物，這些藥物除了本身多種副作用之外，還很容易出現耐藥乃至無法緩解癥狀等問題。甚至美國FDA曾質疑短效和長效β2受體激動劑，認為其可能引起病情加重、增加死亡率。

　　而中醫界，以名老中醫邵經明為代表的邵氏中醫，70年來運用針刺大椎、風門、肺俞等穴位，顯著改善哮喘患者呼吸功能，經驗方子得以發展成熟。

　　楊永清團隊驗證“針灸改善哮喘”深層原理

　　但針刺是多靶向的，可激發上百種生化反應。其弟子楊永清教授領銜的研究團隊，通過小鼠哮喘模型實驗，“鎖定”金屬硫蛋白-2（MT-2），驗證了其蛋白含量上調，對緩解哮喘發病起關鍵作用。

　　接着，他們又確認呼吸道中的“雙蛋白”綁定關係：上游的MT-2在氣管平滑肌細胞上還必須有下游的“作用受體”——肌動蛋白結合蛋白-2（Transgelin-2）。原來，針灸的物理刺激正是引發了這對蛋白的結合，從而舒張氣管、平喘止咳。

　　研究還發現“潛在的抗哮喘新藥”，還是針灸藥

　　針灸人並未止步於此。論文第一作者、上海中醫大和上海市針灸經絡研究所尹磊淼博士告訴解放日報·上觀新聞記者，中科院上海藥物研究所所長蔣華良早在2003年就和楊永清團隊成立“針灸中藥效應聯合實驗室”，他們繼續開展合作，利用分子對接、虛擬篩選等技術，將下游蛋白Transgelin-2作為“魚餌”，從6000個候選化合物中，篩選出了可以特異性地與新靶標結合的分子化合物。

　　這個針鋒相對的小分子，具有“類針刺”的舒張氣管平滑肌作用，成為潛在的抗哮喘新藥。因此，尹磊淼的“師爺”、楊永清的博導、上海市中醫藥研究院副院長陳漢平教授表示，新發現的活性小分子，探索出從中醫臨床到實驗室再回到臨床的轉化醫學模式，可謂一劑“針灸藥”。上海藥物所藥物發現與設計中心主任、該文共同作者朱維良教授也認為，此項研究可以稱得上中國第一個自主智慧財產權的靶標和新藥發現。

　　為解決哮喘當前困境開闢了一條新的路徑

　　“正如《科學》雜誌評審所言，靶向Transgelin-2受體的治療為解決哮喘當前困境開闢了一條新的路徑。”上海中醫大科技實驗中心副主任、市針灸所課題負責人王宇，向解放日報·上觀新聞記者表示，這一從中醫而來的新藥發現與開發策略，也是應用當代生物技術闡釋中國傳統針灸學機制的成功嘗試，對保持我國在針灸研究領域的國際領先地位，率先在這一領域取得原創性的自主智慧財產權具有重要戰略意義。事實上，針灸與針灸藥並非誰替代誰，而是互為補充，多種理化手段，綜合施藥用針。

　　楊永清教授帶領科研團隊。

　　為這支中國中醫團隊點贊！

　　本文來源：解放日報·上觀新聞

　　作者：徐瑞哲

The Regimen of the king of Traditional Chinese Medicine who lived upto 140

"Whenever eminent physicians treat an illness, they must quiet the spirit and settle the will, they must be free of wants and desires, and they must first develop a heart full of great compassion and empathy. They must pledge to devote themselves completely to relieving the suffering of all sentient beings.（凡大醫治病，必當安神定志，無欲無求，先發大慈惻隱之心。誓願普救含靈之苦。）" ----- By Sun Simiao (The king of Chinese Medicine)

Sun Simiao (simplified Chinese: 孙思邈; traditional Chinese: 孫思邈; Born in 541；died in 682) was a famous traditional Chinese medicine doctor of the Sui and Tang dynasty. He was titled as China's King of Medicine (药王, Yaowang) for his significant contributions to Chinese medicine and tremendous care to his patients.

He lived up to 140 years old, back at that time, the average life expectancy of people was only 40 - 50 years old. The "three little" regimen that he proposed in his health care, that is, having "less in the mind, less food in the belly, less sleep in nature", is well worth our study and practice。

The first is "less in the mind." This is the top of the "three little". The premise of peace of mind is that there are few things in mind. There is little or no trouble with the matter of right and wrong, that is, heart and mind can calm down. Therefore, peacetime must be philosophical, indifferent to fame and fortune, be generous with others, reduce the stimulation of bad emotions...

The second is "less food in the belly." The ancients said: "If you want to be healthy, having ave a clear stomach and clear intestine is the key" To achieve this "double-clear," we must always eat less food. In particular, “Sweetness” and “Fatness” must be “remembered with mercy” and “eat only half full,” so that the stomach can be easily digested, and if you drink more tea, you will naturally have a clear stomach and intestine and disease-free.

The third is "less natural sleep". Sleep is a natural supplement. For the seniors, with the change of the physiological function, relative reduction in sleep is a normal law, and there is no need to bother. However, Sun Simiao said that "less nature sleep" is the ultimate realm of sleep, that is, in the process of natural sleep reduction, to ensure the quality of sleep is the key. It is a blessing for each of us if we can “naturally fall asleep and naturally wake up”.

   孙思邈是我国唐代杰出的医学家。他在养生中提出的“三少”养生法，即心中事少、腹中食少、自然睡少，是很值得我们学习和实践的。

　　第一少为“心中事少”。这是“三少”之首。他指出“安心是药更无方”。安心的前提是心中事少。是非之事、烦忧之事少了或者没有了，即能神静心宁。因此，平时一定要善修情性，淡泊名利，宽以待人，减少不良情绪的刺激，做到心中事少而怡然自得，人之精、气、神得以呵护，养生之本就牢固了。

　　第二少为“腹中食少”。古人讲：“欲求无病肠中清，欲得长生腹中清”。要做到这个“双清”，平时一定要食少。特别对“爽口物”和“肥腻厚味”，一定要“口下留情”、“食惟半饱”，这样才能让肠胃轻松裕如消化顺畅，加之多喝茶水，自然就能肠腹双清、内病不染了。

　　第三少是“自然睡少”。睡眠是天然的补品。人到老年以后，随着生理机能的变化，睡眠相对减少是一个正常的规律，大可不必烦恼。但孙思邈说的“自然睡少”是睡眠的终极境界，即在自然减少睡眠的过程中，保证睡眠质量是关键。老年人的睡眠若能做到“自然入睡自然醒”，则是一种好福气。

　　老年朋友，如能学好“三少”养生法，或许会如孙思邈一样活上百岁。