UMagazine_30

澳大新語 • 2024 UMAGAZINE 30 8 封面專題 • COVER STORY advances, including those in modern biomedical science, into Chinese medicine research provides a viable pathway for modernising and internationalising traditional Chinese medicine while enhancing the quality development of the Chinese medicine industry. This approach involves uncovering the biological mechanisms and material basis that underpin the clinical effectiveness of Chinese medicinal products, as well as establishing a quality research framework based on these mechanisms. With this vision in mind, SKL-QRCM focuses on improving clinical efficacy and ensuring the high-quality application of Chinese medicine. Through in-depth research into effective substances in Chinese medicine and their biological mechanisms, SKL-QRCM has achieved pioneering outcomes—including biomarkers, techniques, and methods—that support quality and safety control in Chinese medicine. By clarifying the scientific rationale behind the efficacy of Chinese medicine, SKL-QRCM has advanced the modernisation, commercialisation, and internationalisation of Chinese medicine, contributing to its growth both in Macao and nationwide. Prof Chen also emphasises the importance of conducting research on Chinese medicine quality standards based on biological functions and mechanisms. SKL-QRCM focuses its research on the relationships between active ingredients and their effects on the body, ensuring that quality standards accurately reflect a medicine’s clinical effectiveness. SKL-QRCM primarily focuses on the following critical research areas: quality research in Chinese medicine based on medicinal mechanisms, safety evaluations using toxicology, quality assessments through new technologies and new methodologies, commercialisation of research outcomes in Chinese medicine, and regulatory sciences. In terms of disease research, the laboratory focuses on tumours, autoimmune diseases, cardiovascular and neurodegenerative conditions, as well as liver and metabolic disorders. Additionally, in interdisciplinary research, the laboratory is exploring advanced bioactive materials, synthetic biology, and AI applications in Chinese medicine research. In 2020, the China Association for Science and Technology identified ten key scientific questions shaping the future of research. One of the questions was: ‘What are the mechanisms by which Chinese medicine regulates immune function in the human 陳新教授 Prof Chen Xin body?’ In response, SKL-QRCM has initiated systematic research to explore the various cellular and molecular mechanisms through which Chinese medicine influences immune regulation. They have identified the TNFR2 signalling pathway as a potential therapeutic target for cancer and autoimmune diseases, drawing considerable attention from researchers and the industry worldwide. The laboratory’s research team has also made significant original contributions by discovering how TNFR2 signalling regulates immunity and establishing it as a potential drug target. They have discovered that tetrandrine activates the mTNF-TNFR2 pathway, while other substances, including scutellarin, isoquercitrin, and rubiginosin B, inhibit TNFR2 signalling, thus producing immunomodulatory effects. The adoption of new technologies and methodologies has greatly enhanced the laboratory’s capacity for scientific innovation. For example, a research team has developed an AI-driven screening method using machine learning to identify kaempferol and rhapontigenin from over 3,700 small molecules in Chinese medicine. These two substances, when administered in safe dosages, have proven effective in alleviating the pathological phenotypes of Alzheimer’s disease in Caenorhabditis elegans and mouse models. Developing Innovative Chinese Medicine Products Building on extensive research into the mechanisms and quality of Chinese medicine, SKL-QRCM is

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