Commentary — The Proteomics: A New Tool for Chinese Medicine Research

Proteomics technology is based on the vast analytical power for protein/peptide identification and quantification offered by modern mass spectrometry coupled with hyphenated separation techniques such as two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2DE) and micro- or nano-scale multidimensional liquid chromatography. The rapid growth of proteomics field provides an array of new tools for the integration of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) with modern technology and systems biology, and is potentially advancing the progress of modernization and internationalization of TCM. Cho, in this issue of the American Journal of Chinese Medicine, highlights the recent application of 2DE-based and bottom-up proteomics in Chinese medicine research, including the exploration of pharmacological mechanisms of the actions of TCM, the facilitation of herb authentication and identification, and the profiling of protein expression following acupuncture treatment in animal models. Recent development in proteomics has provided further refinement on the analysis of proteins posttranslational modifications as well as quantitative comparison of different proteomes, and enabled the study of proteomes of specific diseases or biological processes under clinically relevant conditions. It is conceivable that the application of technologies developed in proteomics, genomics and metabonomics in the clinical practice and basic research of Chinese medicine will eventually lead to the reconciliation and integration of TCM and contemporary medicine. Chinese medicine is fundamentally a highly personalized medicine; perhaps it is time to embrace the arrival of TCM OMICS era in Chinese medicine research.