The integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and Western medicine has shaped clinical practice in China for decades, largely through pragmatic collaboration, combining distinct diagnostic and therapeutic modalities to optimize patient care. With advances in data science, systems biology and artificial intelligence, a new phase of integration is emerging. These technologies are enabling a shift from viewing TCM through the lens of modern clinical medicine to recognizing that TCM's holistic perspective is a driver for future medical innovation. We outline a framework for future medicine, an integration of medical paradigms that is built around a new system of classification, combination therapeutics, and molecular dynamics. Please cite this article as: Ji G, Zhang C, Lü AP. The integration of Chinese and Western medicines: Shaping the future of medical science. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):3-6.

Natural compounds are increasingly recognized for their therapeutic potential in disease treatment, and they make a significant contribution to modern pharmaceutical research. Among these compounds, acteoside (ACT), also known as verbascoside and kusaginin, is a phenylethanoid glycoside derived from sources like Rehmannia glutinosa Libosch. and Cistanche deserticola Ma. This natural compound exhibits a range of therapeutic properties, including neuroprotective, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, and anti-tumor effects, thereby underscoring its potential value in addressing various clinical conditions. However, the unstable physicochemical properties and low bioavailability of ACT have greatly limited its clinical application. This review summarizes the latest advancements in pharmaceutical plant resources, conducts bibliometric analysis and explores the pharmacokinetics, pharmacological effects and molecular mechanisms of ACT, providing a deeper understanding of its medicinal value and current research trends. Furthermore, we utilize network pharmacology strategies and molecular docking techniques to identify additional potential therapeutic targets for ACT. We posit that ACT holds considerable promise as a treatment for atherosclerosis, diabetes with complications, hepatic and respiratory diseases as well as common malignant tumors. This review enhances our understanding of the mechanisms by which ACT treats various diseases and establishes a theoretical foundation for further drug development and research on medicinal plants. Please cite this article as: Zhang FK, Jia KX, Wang H, Liu RP, Xue XY, Huo ZX, Li XJY. Acteoside as a rising star for clinical treatment: Current fundamental research and future outlooks. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):7-23.

Cancer is the second leading cause of mortality globally, and a range of physical, psychological and emotional symptoms can accompany it. Over the past years, due to its global prevalence and associated health challenges, novel therapeutic approaches have been introduced to the healthcare system. In this regard, supportive and palliative care has been proposed as an effective field that has significantly progressed in cancer management and symptom reduction. Particularly, art therapy, as a supportive and palliative care approach, plays an important role in controlling and reducing symptoms in cancer management. It has a significant impact in enhancing the quality of life for cancer patients and improving social functioning. It fosters emotional expression and coping mechanisms, alleviating distress associated with the disease. Moreover, art therapy has a deep influence on various aspects of the patients’ life, and greatly enhances their quality of life, motivating them to improve their social functioning. The extended impact of art therapy affects family members, close relatives, and caregivers who might also use it as a means to work through positive effects at numerous stages of the cancer journey. In this regard, further research is warranted to optimize its integration into standard cancer care practices.

This study summarizes and discusses the characteristics and essence of meridians and acupoints from the perspectives of physics, chemistry and biology. An extensive body of literature from PubMed and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure was reviewed and categorized into three distinct groups: physical characteristics-related research (75 articles), which examined electrical, thermal, optical, acoustic and magnetic properties, and isotope migration; chemical characteristics-related literature (44 articles), focusing on chemical ions, oxygen partial pressure, nitric oxide and substance P; and biological essence-related research (52 articles), which primarily explored microcirculation, extracellular fluid channels, mast cells, telocytes, connexins, hilum of muscle and bone, and sensory nerve fibers. Current research emphasizes the electrical and thermal properties of the meridians and acupoints, whereas investigations into the essence of meridians are increasingly shifting from macroscopic to microscopic structures. It is essential to fully harness the advantages of interdisciplinary integration, which could significantly advance our understanding and applications in the realm of acupuncture and traditional medicine.

Acupuncture therapy has demonstrated therapeutic effects on various systemic diseases through the use of specific acupoints along meridians. However, due to the multi-target effect of acupuncture and the complexity of meridian pathways, the underlying mechanisms of acupuncture have not been well understood. Tissue clearing and three-dimensional (3D) imaging is an emerging medical technology that provides high-resolution 3D molecular information while preserving the structural integrity of tissues. In relevant research articles, tissue-clearing and 3D imaging techniques stood out for their ability to visualize the structural characteristics of meridians and acupoints of intact tissues, in order to reveal their intricate connections by means of topological principles. Specifically, this technology has managed to show that acupuncture points like Guilai (ST29) and Sanyinjiao (SP6), which are commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine for treating gynecological disorders, promote angiogenesis in the ovaries and thus improve follicle numbers in polycystic ovary syndrome-like ovaries. This article summarizes recent progress on tissue-clearing and 3D imaging technologies and anticipates the prospects of utilizing this technology to further explore the effects of acupuncture.

Background

Acupuncture is recognized as an alternative therapy for rheumatoid arthritis (RA) pain, but its efficacy evaluations are often confounded by variability in sham acupuncture techniques. The accurate selection of sham acupuncture controls, which are administered at either therapeutic acupuncture points or non-acupuncture points, is crucial for the validity of assessment outcomes.

Objective

To assess the efficacy of acupuncture in treating RA pain and identify the most effective acupuncture methods.

Search strategy

Databases including MEDLINE, Embase, PubMed, Cochrane Library, Scopus, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure Database, Chinese Science and Technology Journal Database, and Wanfang Database were searched from inception to October 11, 2024. Keywords included “rheumatoid arthritis,” “acupuncture,” “electroacupuncture,” and “pain.”

Inclusion criteria

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) in adults with RA that assessed pain using a visual analog scale and joint swelling by swollen joint count. Eligible trials compared electroacupuncture, conventional acupuncture, or sham acupuncture, against standard pain medication.

Data extraction and analysis

Two reviewers independently extracted data on study design, participant characteristics, interventions and outcomes. Risk of bias was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias 2 tool, and evidence certainty was assessed via the confidence in network meta-analysis framework. A frequentist network meta-analysis with random-effect models was conducted, and standardized mean difference (SMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were reported.

Results

Ten RCTs involving 704 participants were analyzed. Electroacupuncture (SMD: –1.42; 95% CI: [–1.87, –0.98]) and conventional acupuncture (SMD: –1.11; 95% CI: [–1.49, –0.73]) outperformed conventional therapy and non-acupoint sham needling. Surface under cumulative ranking curve showed that electroacupuncture was most effective for pain reduction (97.7%), followed by conventional acupuncture (75.1%), non-acupoint sham (29.1%), same-acupoint sham (28.6%), and conventional therapy (19.5%).

Conclusion

Electroacupuncture demonstrated the highest efficacy for RA pain relief. Same-acupoint sham acupuncture may underestimate acupuncture’s true effect and is not recommended as a placebo control. Non-acupoint sham acupuncture is a more valid control for future trials.

Background: Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is increasingly recognized for its holistic approach and effectiveness. Integrated medicine, emphasizing collaboration between TCM and Western medicine (WM), is promoted globally to enhance healthcare delivery. However, the roles and responsibilities of TCM practitioners in predominantly Western medical settings are underexplored, potentially hindering their engagement in interprofessional collaboration.

Objective: This scoping review investigated the roles and responsibilities of TCM practitioners and identified facilitators and barriers to TCM integration in Western medical contexts.

Search strategy: We conducted a scoping review using data from eleven Chinese and English databases, including Cumulative Index of Nursing and Allied Health, MEDLINE, PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, China National Knowledge Infrastructure. Wanfang, Chinese Scientific Journal Database, and the Chinese Science Citation Database.

Inclusion criteria: Eligibility was limited to studies on TCM practitioners in interdisciplinary teams with Western professionals, published in Chinese or English, while excluding articles that lacked documentation of TCM involvement, or focused exclusively on TCM practices.

Data extraction and analysis: Thematic analysis following Braun and Clarke's six-step framework was used to summarize data on the roles of TCM and TCM practitioners, and factors that facilitate and hinder the integration of TCM and WM.

Results: Our systematic search yielded 31 relevant papers. We identified eight key roles of TCM practitioners: mitigating WM-induced side effects, facilitating WM tapering and prevention, attenuating disease progression, improving mental health, providing pain relief, supporting stroke rehabilitation, managing symptoms, and regulating the immune system. TCM practitioners fulfill these roles through accurate diagnosis, prescription, and collaborative care while also serving as educators. Five facilitators for TCM integration were identified: safety, recognition, policy support, accessibility, and treatment guidelines. Barriers included: safety concerns, lack of research, insufficient TCM knowledge among WM practitioners, attitudinal barriers, limited access, and inconvenience.

Conclusion: Our review highlights the potential of TCM to enrich interdisciplinary teams in Western medical settings. Although there are successful integration models, significant barriers persist, including cost disparities and insufficient research. To achieve seamless integration, a multi-faceted approach that includes research collaboration, equitable policies, enhanced interprofessional education, and efforts to shift societal perceptions is essential. Please cite this article as: Wong AKC, Shi N, Ho A, Ho JYS. The roles of traditional Chinese medicine within an interdisciplinary team in predominantly Western medical settings: A scoping review. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):65-80.

Background: Research on the benefits of mobilization-focused manual therapy for whiplash syndrome is needed.

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness of manual therapy as an adjunct to integrative Korean medicine treatment (IKMT) for acute neck pain following traffic accidents.

Design, setting, participants and interventions: A single-center, two-arm, assessor-blinded, randomized clinical trial was conducted between 20 November 2020 and 26 July 2022. This study included 120 patients with acute neck pain after a traffic accident. IKMT was performed in the intervention and control groups during hospitalization. The intervention group also underwent four mobilization-focused manual therapy sessions.

Main outcome measures: The primary outcome was a change from the baseline in the numeric rating scale of neck pain on day 5 of hospitalization.

Results: A total of 120 participants were allocated to two groups (60 patients each), and the modified intention-to-treat analysis set included 60 and 59 patients in the intervention and control groups, respectively. On day 5, the intervention group showed more improvement in numeric rating (by 0.97 [0.38, 1.57]) and visual analogue (by 9.84 [4.15, 15.54]) scale scores, compared to the control group. The area under the curve of cumulative values up to day 5 was smaller in the intervention group than in the control group, with numeric rating and visual analogue scale scores of 2.81 (1.33, 4.29) and 31.02 (15.81, 46.22), respectively.

Conclusion: Administration of manual therapy as an adjunct to IKMT among patients with traffic accident-induced acute neck pain resulted in faster and better improvement in neck pain up to day 5 compared to IKMT alone. However, the outcomes showed no significant differences at the 12-week follow-up.

Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04660175). Please cite this article as: Choi SW, Kim KH, Yoon JY, Lee SW, Park JW, Hong HW, Kyeong DH, Kim MK, Kim SN, Kim CY, Lee YJ, Lee JH, Kim JY, Ha IH. Effectiveness and safety of manual therapy for inpatients with traffic accident-induced acute neck pain: A randomized controlled trial. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):81-89.

Objective
Interactions between supplements and drugs may potentially increase the risk of bleeding in patients with cancer. However, studies on drug interactions and bleeding risk in cancer patients in a real-world setting are limited. This study investigates supplement-drug interactions associated with bleeding risk using data from the UK Biobank database (https://www.ukbiobank.ac.uk).

Methods
Participants included in this study had a cancer diagnosis and had completed supplement-use assessment after their diagnosis. Potential supplement-drug interactions associated with bleeding were identified using four tertiary databases. Logistic regression was used to investigate the association between potential clinical predictors and the use of supplement-drug pairs with interactions that potentially increase the bleeding risk. Exploratory analysis utilized log-binomial regression to examine the association between potentially interacting supplement-drug pairs and the incidence rates of five major bleeding outcomes (gastrointestinal hemorrhage, intracranial hemorrhage, hematuria, hemorrhage from respiratory passages, and postmenopausal bleeding). All analyses were adjusted for relevant factors.

Results
This study analyzed data from 30,239 participants (mean age = 60.0 years; 61.9% female). Over half (n = 17,698, 58.5%) of the participants reported using supplements after their cancer diagnosis. Among those using both supplements and drugs, one-third (n = 4970/14,308, 34.7%) were taking potentially interacting pairs that increase bleeding risk. Younger age at cancer diagnosis, longer time since diagnosis, specific cancer types, and comorbidities were associated with the use of these interacting pairs. Exploratory analyses found no significant associations between the use of potentially interacting supplement-drug pairs and the incidence of major bleeding events (all P > 0.05), although the risk of minor bleeding cannot be ruled out.

Conclusion
Approximately one-third of cancer patients who used supplements and drugs had a potential risk for bleeding due to supplement-drug interactions, suggesting the need to raise awareness about bleeding risks among patients and healthcare providers. Further pharmacovigilance monitoring and prospective cohort studies are needed to better understand the clinical impact of specific interactions.

Objective: This study aimed to predict biased traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) constitutions among individuals aged ≥ 65 years using machine learning models and to identify the key predictors of biased TCM constitutions.

Methods: This cross-sectional study enrolled 4403 older adults in Shanghai, China. Demographic, lifestyle and clinical data were collected. Six machine learning models were trained and compared: random forest (RF), gradient boosting machine (GBM), support vector machine (SVM), extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost), adaptive boosting classifier (AdaBoost) and logistic regression (LR).

Results: Among these 4403 participants, 29.2% presented with biased TCM constitutions. RF demonstrated the highest predictive performance with an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.847 (indicating excellent discrimination), followed by GBM (AUC = 0.842), XGBoost (AUC = 0.840), AdaBoost (AUC = 0.830), SVM (AUC = 0.764) and LR (AUC = 0.759). Key predictors included age, heart rate, and specific blood parameters such as monocytes, alanine aminotransferase, platelet distribution width, total bilirubin, and creatinine.

Conclusion: The high prevalence of biased TCM constitutions among elderly adults underscores the need for targeted health management strategies. Machine learning models, particularly RF, can accurately predict biased TCM constitutions, enabling early identification of at-risk individuals. The identified predictors provide valuable insights for developing personalised preventive strategies and inform future research on TCM-based elderly healthcare. Please cite this article as: Sun C, Yu Z, Ge ZY, Wang WJ, Wang BY, Song HL, Xie GQ, Zhao HL, Zhang Y, Xu XL. Predicting traditional Chinese medicine constitutions in adults aged ≥ 65 years: A machine learning approach. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):98-104.

Objective: In integrative traditional Korean medicine, children without abnormalities on medical examination but who frequently experience minor illnesses, fatigue and poor appetite are diagnosed as children with weakness. The Pediatric Weakness Scale (PWS) is a validated questionnaire for assessing pediatric weakness, but no standardized cutoff value exists. This study aimed to develop a validated cutoff value for PWS.

Methods: Parents of children aged 6-9 years were administered a survey to measure PWS, PedsQL? Multidimensional Fatigue Scale (MFS), Korean Child Behavior Checklist (K-CBCL), Korean version of the Children's Eating Behavior Questionnaire (K-CEBQ), child growth indices, frequency of respiratory infections, and average duration of respiratory infections. The correlation between PWS and the results of each survey was analyzed using Pearson's or Spearman's correlation. The differences between the weak and normal groups were compared using independent sample t-tests or Mann-Whitney U tests. Receiver-operating characteristic (ROC) curves for the PWS subscale were generated based on five visceral theories (liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney). The cutoff value was determined at the point that maximized Youden's index on the ROC curve.

Results: A total of 326 parents participated in the study. In PWS, the liver weakness index was significantly correlated with the MFS, heart weakness index with the K-CBCL, spleen weakness index with the K-CEBQ, lung weakness index with the frequency of respiratory infections, average duration of respiratory infections in the past year, and kidney weakness index with birth weight, height percentile, and weight percentile. Significant differences in each PWS subscale were observed between the weak and normal children. The cutoff values for diagnosing weakness in the liver, heart, spleen, lung and kidney were 4.50, 7.50, 4.50, 4.50 and 4.50, respectively, with sensitivity and specificity reaching up to 84.6% and 82.5%.

Conclusion: The cutoff values for PWS derived from this survey will be a useful tool for diagnosing and assessing pediatric weakness. Please cite this article as: Kim TH, Chae H, Han JH, Bang MR, Chang GT, Lee JY, Lee SH. Cutoff value for Pediatric Weakness Scale for diagnosis of pediatric weakness. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):105-114.

Objective: To describe the clinical features and effectiveness of Xuanbai Shengmai Decoction (XB, a compound Chinese herbal medicine) on disease progression, clinical effect and viral RNA shedding in COVID-19 cases.

Methods: We collected demographic and clinical information of 212 COVID-19 cases from December 2022 to January 2023, and divided these cases into two groups based on whether XB was used or not. Survival curves in the two groups were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method. A smoothing approximation of time-to-event distributions was created based on a log-rank test and a restricted mean survival time model, and the Gaussian density estimation method. In addition, the effect of XB treatment on survival time was assessed using a series of Cox proportional hazards models.

Results: Of all 212 COVID-19 cases, there were respectively 63 and 149 cases reported in XB group and non-XB group. Of those, 128 (60.4%) were male, with median age of 75.00 years, and 72.6% had one or more underlying medical conditions. The most common symptoms on admission were cough (64.6%), fever (39.6%), wheezing (27.8%) and sputum (13.2%). In addition, the gender, age group distribution, smoking, and drinking between two groups were of no significant difference (P > 0.05). However, the clinical characteristics and CT findings in XB group were more serious than those in non-XB group. Nevertheless, the hazard of death in XB group was lower than that in non-XB group, especially on severe cases. Treatment with XB significantly protected against adverse outcomes, shorten the time of viral RNA shedding. Moreover, interventional therapy of XB within 1-2 days after hospital admission is confirmed with particularly effectiveness.

Conclusion: Treatment of XB is effective for COVID-19 cases, particularly in reducing the mortality rate of severe cases, suggesting that XB may be used as an alternative treatment of SARS-COV-2 infection. Please cite this article as: Liu TW, Zhang SW, Jiang H, Yang SW, Guo YJ, Ding MY, Li XC, Xu J, Lu HT, Ye HR, Hu YH, Li R, Wei YM, Song MF, Wang S, Zhang J, Feng QS, Xu XL. Effectiveness of Xuanbai Shengmai Decoction, a compound Chinese herbal medicine, on disease progress and viral RNA shedding in COVID-19 patients: A retrospective study of medical chart in China. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):115-124.

Objective: To assess whether electroacupuncture (EA) can facilitate the restoration of the intestinal mucosal barrier in rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome (IBS-D) by regulating adherens junctions through mast cells (MCs) and microRNAs.

Methods: Forty Sprague-Dawley rats were divided into control group and IBS-D group. Rats were given Senna solution via gavage and subjected to a 14-day chronic unpredictable mild stress procedure. Subsequently, rats in the IBS-D group were assigned to a model group, an EA group, and an EA + MC agonist group. Visceral pain threshold and diarrhea index (DI) were measured. Transmission electron microscopy was used to observe the ultrastructure of MCs. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was used to measure tryptase and diamine oxidase (DAO) levels. Western blotting and quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) techniques were used to evaluate the quantities of E-cadherin and α-catenin. Immunohistochemistry and ELISA were used to assess the levels of F-actin and vinculin. microRNAs from the colon were sequenced, and qPCR was used to validate the sequencing results. In vitro, Caco-2 cells were used to establish the intestinal epithelium model. After transfection with miR-494-3p mimics, qPCR was performed to measure the expression of microRNAs, E-cadherin and α-catenin; the transmittance of fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran was detected to measure permeability of the cell layer.

Results: In the model group, DI, and tryptase and DAO concentration increased; body weight, visceral pain threshold and the expression of E-cadherin, α-catenin, F-actin and vinculin were significantly decreased compared to the control group. This pattern was reversed in the EA group. No significant difference was found between the EA + MC agonist group and the model group. Sequencing revealed that the expression of miR-541-5p and miR-494-3p was significantly higher in the model group and lower in the EA group. Enrichment analyses revealed that the majority of enrichments were associated with adherens junctions. Spearman's correlation tests indicated that the expression of miR-541-5p and miR-494-3p had a positive correlation with serum DAO and colonic tryptase levels, while showing a negative correlation with E-cadherin level. After microRNA mimic transfection, the expression of miR-494-3p and the barrier permeability were significantly increased, and the expression of E-cadherin was significantly decreased.

Conclusion: In rats with IBS-D, EA may help repair the intestinal barrier function by modulating adherens junctions and cytoskeletal components through the inhibition of MCs; miR-494-3p may play pivotal roles in this process. Please cite this article as: Hou YJ, Zheng HB, Wang K, Jiang HL, Chen Y, Wang L, Zheng QH, Li Y, Zhou SY. Electroacupuncture repairs intestinal mucosal barrier in rats with diarrhea-predominant irritable bowel syndrome by regulating adherens junctions through mast cells and microRNAs. J Integr Med. 2026; 24(1):125-136.