World Integrated Medicine Master Chen Keji

Prof. Zou:Hello! Academician Chen. Thank you very much for taking the time to accept the interview of the World Journal of Integrated traditional and western Medicine. At present, under the guidance of Xi Jinping's thoughts on socialism with Chinese characteristics in the new era, the development of traditional Chinese medicine(TCM) has entered a new era. Recently, it is stressed in the report on the work of Chinese government that "we should support the inheritance and innovation of TCM,encouraging the integration of Chinese and western medicine".

As one of the pioneers of the integration of Chinese and western medicine, we really hope you could introduce the development, present situation and future development of integrative medicine and its role in promoting Chinese medicine into the world.

Academician Chen:At present, the development situation of TCM has been getting better and better.As president Xi Jinping stressed in the 60thanniversary ceremony of the founding of China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences that TCM is the ancient treasure of Chinese culture, also is the key to the treasure-house of Chinese civilization. I hope that TCM workers should enhance the national self-confidence, climb medical peak bravely, further explore the essence treasure house of Chinese medicine, give full play of the unique advantages of Chinese medicine to promote the modernization of TCM, and TCM to the world, and better succeed the TCM that the precious treasure our ancestors left, better develop it, better use it, and write a new chapter in implementing the great journey of Chinese dream.

Integrated medicine in our country is to complement the advantages of TCM and modern medicine. Integrated medicine, which is an innovative achievement of our countries' more than half century development, is a new discipline first initiated in the world. After its establishment, integrated medicine has been increasingly won the recognition of academic circles at home and abroad, promoting the integration between traditional Chinese and modern medicine in many countries.Internationally, integrative medicine, known as complementary and alternative medicine, have sprung up,such as Japanese integrative medicine, Korean integrative medicine, Indian integrative medicine, American integrative medicine etc., showing that integrative medicine research has been emerging. The integration of Chinese and western medicine is the model in the world.

With thousands of years of development, TCM in China has rich theoretical and clinical experience. At the beginning of the founding of the People's Republic of China, Chairman Mao Zedong wrote an inscription for TCM that was "Chinese medicine is a great treasure,and we should be endeavored to explore and improve it".Chairman Mao Zedong also pointed out that TCM is one of China's contributions to the world. The unified TCM system of China is for the joint development of Chinese and western medicine. Next, I will talk about my own views from four aspects.

1. Chinese medicine is featured with the integration of science and humanity.

Chinese medicine has two core values, namely scientific technology and humanity. In terms of scientific technology, it focuses on clinical practice, holistic view,regulation theory and diagnosis and treatment based on an overall analysis of the illness and the patient's condition,which constantly enlightens the spirit of scientific technology. As for humanistic spirit, it focuses on the emotional care of the benevolence. Generally speaking,scientific technology refers to systematic empirical knowledge, and the diversity of culture will affect the science. Thus, to a certain extent, we should pay attention to the complementarity of cultural diversity. The theory of TCM focuses on the relationship between man and nature,namely the idea of "harmony between man and nature"and "correspondence between man and nature". In the overall view and systematic thinking, it is complementary to the humanistic idea, paying special attention to"goldenmean" thinking, focusing on the adjustment of balance, in order to achieve the purpose of reconciling and curing the disease, and maintain the harmony and steady state of the human body environment. All these are the embodiment of the blending of TCM, science and technology and humanistic culture.

2. Academic debate and scientific progress

Academic debate promotes the progress of science and technology. Even famous academic ideas or opinions can also be commented on or discussed. It has been so since ancient times. And there is no doubt about it. The typical example was the debate among several famous TCM practitioners in Qing dynasty, named Xue Xue,Xu Dachun and Ye Gui, which developed the theory and the experience of diagnosis and treatment. We should welcome and propose academic debate. It is very common to have diversity of thinking of different schools or academic background, which is the premise of sustainable development of science and technology.Due to the limitation of historical conditions, we should absorb the good of ancient TCM academics and discard the dregs, develop it and innovate it. Li shizhen is a great pharmacologist in our country, being recognized at home and abroad. But his classic, Compendium of Materia Medica also contains some of superstition. We must seek truth from facts to understand it more.

3. Complementarity between Chinese and western medicine

Integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine is to use modern science including modern medical knowledge and technology and method, and the essence of TCM theory and clinical experience.The innovation is not only the gather of medical science or technology, but the complementary advantages.The Chinese and western medicine combined with medical model is enjoyed by our people. The medical model with dual diagnosis method of Chinese and western medicine improves the level of the diagnosis, and the treatment can be chosen according to the condition of one or a combination of the two scientifically, so as to improve curative effect, develop the advantage of TCM. In a new era in the 21st century, we are full of confidence. The modern science including the knowledge and method of modern medicine is applied to inherit and reorganize the research experience of TCM. It is possible at the higher level that we can carry forward the advantages of TCM theory, put forward a new view, make evaluation more objectively and effectively, and make a new method for the prevention and control of several difficult diseases.It is possible that we can make new progress in different fields, such as Chinese compound prescription, effective part of Chinese herbs, active components of Chinese herbs, for the bene fit of mankind.

4. The achievements of the combination of Chinese and western medicine

In China, there are many achievements of the combination of Chinese and Western medicine, which demonstrate our achievements and experience in that field and play the role of pioneering and leading. As for internal medicine, Professor Kuang Ankun did research on kidney yin and kidney yang. And his research on vital gate and the animal mode of kidney yang deficiency created a new scientific era for experimental Chinese Medicine. Acupuncture analgesia theory created by Academician Han Jisheng from Peking University Health Science Center got world attention. The academic view and research on "Same Treatment for Different Diseases"by Professor Shen Ziyin from Shanghai, also has undergone rapid development. Professor Wu Xianzhong from Tianjin made great achievements on the exploration of the theoretical system of acute abdomen. He elaborated the clinical effect of integrative medicine in the treatment of acute abdomen syndrome. Fixation with small splint in the treatment of fracture which was invented by Shang Tianyu initiated a new therapy for treating fracture by integrative medicine. And it is now widely spreading in the world. As for the research on tumor, the theoretical principal of supporting the healthy qi and banking up the root by Professor Sun Yan is integrated with modern immunology. And clinical and experimental research on TCM of supporting healthy qi to promote immunology is carried out with experts worldwide. Academician Chen Zhu made great contribution toarsenic trioxide in treating cells and molecule system of acute promyelocytic leukemia, which was high-rated in international academics. There are also many cases as mentioned above, which has great in fluence on international society.

Prof. Zou:Academician Chen, Professor Tu Youyou from China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences won the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology for her invention of artemisininin for treating malaria in 2015. Do you think that research belongs to the model of integrative medicine?

Academician Chen:Tu Youyou's wining of Nobel Prize was a typical example of integrated medicine.Professor Tu is a graduate of Beijing Medical College.Thus she has a very good background of western medicine. After working in China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, she studied ancient TCM classics in China. Inspired by Ge Hong's Emergency Formula to Keep Up One's Sleeve, she thus used ether as solvent to eventually extract artemisinin and conducted a clinical trial by herself. It was found that it has killing effect on plasmodium. In October 2015, Tu Youyou was awarded the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine for her new therapy of using artemisinin in the treatment of malaria.On January 2nd, 2017, she was awarded 2016 China Highest Science and Technology Awards. That was the first time it was awarded to a female scientist. To develop the integration medicine well, we must adhere to it. And we will make great achievements.

Prof. Zou:Since the middle of the last century,you have been engaged in the study of TCM and treating cardiovascular disease by integrative medicine and geriatric medicine in the China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences. Great achievements have been made in the subjects as follows: such as theoretical and clinical research on treating coronary heart disease by invigorating blood and dissolving stasis, warming and dredging formulas with aromatics, supplementing kidney and benefiting spleen formulas for anti-aging,original imperial medical archives in Qing Dynasty. Thus a group of clinical talents of integrated Chinese has been cultivated. Among the achievements mentioned above,in particular, you have rich experience and achievements on the theory of the treating coronary heart diseases by invigorating blood and dissolving stasis, which was award as the achievements of national scientific and technological progress several times. Can you give some introduction of that?

Academician Chen:In the early 1970s, Premier Zhou Enlai proposed that we should strengthen our research on the prevention and treatment of coronary heart disease. The Beijing Collaborative Group for the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Heart Disease came into being. Academician Wu Yinghao, president of Fuwai Hospital, served as the group leader, and clinically validated coronary heart disease II, which was based on the experience of treating of coronary heart disease by invigorating blood and dissolving stasis.The formula is mainly composed of classic bloodinvigorating Chinese medicines, consisting of Radix et Rhizoma Salviae Miltiorrhizae, Rhizoma Chuanxiong,Radix Paeoniae Rubra, Flos Carthami, and Lignum Dalbergiae Odoriferae. With the colleagues in my department, I actively participated in the research team composed of more than ten hospitals in Beijing. The recent and long-term research on curative effects on more than thousands of patients with coronary heart disease and with angina pectoris has been studied, and it has been proved that there are significant improvements.Injection, development and research onligustrazine have been proved to have a definite effect on acute occlusive cerebrovascular disease.Afterwards, coronary heart disease II was later converted into a refined coronary heart pill, which wasconsisted of effective part.Cooperating with the Institute of Cardiovascular Diseases,Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Tongren Hospital and other institutions, we jointly confirm the effect of coronary heart disease II on the stability of coronary heart disease by randomly controlled and double blind trial. It is the earliest research achievements of RCT method of the evidence-based medicine in the Chinese medicine. In the research and development of warming and dredging medicine with aromatics, we carried out research on the effect of KuangxiongAerosol to treat the acute attack of angina pectoris, which is consists of Fructus Piperis Longi, Radix et Rhizoma Asari, Lignum Santali Albi,Borneolum Syntheticum, volatile oil by Rhizoma Alpiniae Of ficinarum. And the research hadvery good results. This year we further confirmed it in clinical trialsof larger data.And we foundthat it was effective in improving cerebral blood flow.

Basic researches such as anti-platelet aggregation have also made good progress in the establishment of criteria of blood stasis diagnosis.The purpose of medicine is the effect of clinical practice, with the key to treating diseases. Research on TCM cannot be separated from that direction.

Prof. Zou:Academician Chen, Could you please give us some suggestion on the development of integrative medicine?

Academician Chen:Firstly, it is of great importance for getting the attention of the administration department,which formulates policies to encourage the integration of Chinese and Western medicine. Secondly, it is also very important to cultivate talents. Thus we must continue to promote the cultivation of talents of integrated medicine.When I served as the member of the 7th, 8th and 9th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), I have ever proposed that we should establish department of integrated medicine of Chinese and Western medicine in medical universities and colleges. Later, it has been established in Fujian and has been effective. It has been highly active,and fruitful. Talents are the key. Our political system should help solving the employment issue of those talents.

Prof. Zou:Academician Chen, could you please talk about the problems that we should pay attention to in the development of integrative medicine?

Academician Chen:Workers of integrative medicine must conscientiously do a good job of their own work. The most important thing is thattheir research work must have valid and safe evidence. Good results will be recognized in the international society. The Nobel Prize won by Tu Youyou is such an example. We should be tolerant to the integration of Chinese and Western medicine, seeing their advantages, complementing each other, and developing them together. Chinese medicine is effective, and the key is to elaborate its functional mechanism. Based on facts and practice, we should organize more Western doctors to learn Chinese medicine while organize Chinese medicine practitioners learn western medicine, with the promotion of"double learning".

Prof. Zou:Academician Chen, could you please talk about your hopes and messages to the young and middle-aged medical workers?

Academician Chen:Young and middle-aged people of integrative medicine are the hope of our career,most of which studied hard and hadhigh degrees. They are good in English and have made great achievements in the clinical practice and basic research of integrative medicine. They are innovative and have updated knowledge, promoting the transformation of scientific and technological achievements of Chinese medicine, which are hard to get.I hope to join you all in adhering to the theme of innovation, the eternal theme of development, to contribute to integrative medicine which is a flourishing disciplinefor the rest of my life, and continue to write splendid chapters. The integration of Chinese and Western medicine is like a large fertile soil of science. It is very dif ficult to carry out analogical crossover, transplantation and integration of two distinctly different medicines here.Only curiosity and interest are not enough. We must also have good humanistic qualities and dedication. We must be good at rethinking the problems in the practice of clinical and scientific research and seek solutions from internal thinking and external coordination.

The scientific spirit of seeking truth from facts is of utmost importance. While encouraging cross thinking between leading thinking and contemporary science, we must pay special attention to scientific spirit and ethics.We must resolutely oppose pseudoscience, employ trickery and plagiarism. It is necessary for us to both have an independent personality with arduous struggle and a spirit of collaboration that respects groups. We must focus on both inheritance learning and innovation, which is the soul and is the matter of success or failure. Talent is fundamental, which is important to the succession of our career.

In his Nobel Prize speech, Einstein said: "Happiness,beauty, and truth light up my path and continue to give me the courage to innovate and confront ideal of life."On the road to promote traditional medicine and serve for the well-being of mankind, we should enhance our sense of mission, responsibility, and urgency so as to usher in a splendid future of integrative medicine.