Key activities
Develop a clinical trials network
- A Standard Operating Procedures for TCM clinical trials has been drafted.
- The establishment of a relevant network of clinical sites with experience in TCM clinical trials is underway.
- A guide for researchers and ethics committees in the form of frequently asked questions has been drafted.
- A listed of current TCM clinical trials is being developed to be featured on the NICM website.
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
Develop a strategic approach to quality assurance of chemical definition of complex Chinese herbal medicines for bioactivity testing and clinical trials
- Analytical chemistry, including authentication and certification of herbal medicines has been undertaken on a range of herbal medicines including:
- HPLC and CE analysis of Centella asiatica;
- LCMS analysis of Panaz ginseng, Atractylodes macrocephela, Poria cocos, Glycyrrhiza uralensis, Salvia miltiorrhiza;
- Fingerprinting - Punica granatum, Zingiber officinale, Propolis and PSK.
- Inter-laboratory cross-validation and sharing analytical methods has been improved through workshops and site visits between collaborating partners.
- Two manuscripts on quality assurance of clinical medicines are in preparation.
- Submissions prepared for competitive grant applications for further development of quality standards in clinical herbal medicines
- CRC Complementary Medicines Submission 2009;
- Pre-clinical studies of Traditional Chinese Medicine formula Dahuang Huanglian Xiexin Tang for Treatment of Type II Diabetes, OSMR China-NSW Collaborative Program submitted May 2009.
Conference extracts and presentations on Centella asiatica
1. Tongkao-on W, K M Li, V Razmovski-Naumovski, G Q Li, Comparison of Centella Asiatica's Fingerprinting from 4 different Countries by Thin Layer Chromatography and Capillary Electrophoresis. Faculties of Health Research Conference, "From Cell to Society 6", 11-12 Nov 2008, Blue Mountains, NSW. P126.
2. Tongkao-on W, K M Li, V Razmovski-Naumovski, G Q Li, Comparison of Centella Asiatica's Fingerprinting from Four Different Countries by Thin Layer Chromatography and Capillary Zone Electrophoresis. Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA) Conference, Canberra, December, 2008.
3. Hao Wang, Wannit Tongkao-on, George Q. Li, David N. Leach, Quantitative Determination of Major Triterpenes in Centella asiatica by UV and ELSD HPLC, Natural Products Chemistry Group, Annual One-Day Symposium, The University of Newcastle, Callaghan, NSW, 2 October 2009.
4. W Tongkao-on, KM Li, V Razmovski-Naumovski, H Wang, DN Leach, B Kimble & GQ Li, Phytochemical analysis of Australian Centella asiatica by high performance liquid chromatography and capillary zone electrophoresis. The Australasian Society of Clinical and Experimental Pharmacologists and Toxicologists (ASCEPT), ASM Sydney, Nov 29 - Dec 2 2009.
5. Wannit Tongkao-on, Kong M Li, Valentina Razmovski-Naumovski, Hao Wang, David N Leach, Benjamin Kimble, George Q Li, Determination of Triterpene and flavonoid contents in Centella asiatica from 6 Countries by High Performance Liquid Chromatography, Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA) Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, 9-11 December, 2009.
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
Develop a network of acupuncture researchers, develop a validated quality rating scale for acupuncture trials, and design and perform two multi-site pilot trials
- Two forums have been held discussing acupuncture research methodology.
- An ethics submission has been made to undertake a Delphi study for the development of a rating scale for the acupuncture treatment intervention the Assessment of Quality Acupuncture in Studies Instrument.
- Two pilot trials has been created
- Effect of acupuncture of lateral elbow pain;
- Fertility and periconceptual care.
- Established two PhD training programs in acupuncture research.
- Submitted an acupuncture grant application to the China-NSW Collaborative Research program which was unsuccessful.
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
Explore pharmacological mechanisms of Chinese herbal medicines in metabolic syndrome and type-2 diabetes
- Two manuscripts submitted to journals on the mechanistic exploration of Chinese herbal medicines in diabetes:
- Huang TH, Teoh AW, Lin BL, Lin DSH, Roufogalis BD (2009). The role of herbal PPAR modulators in the treatment of cardiometabolic syndrome. Pharmacological Research 60 (3), 195-206.
- Nammi S, Kim MS, Gavande NS, Li GQ, Roufogalis BD (2009) Regulation of LDL Receptor and HMG-CoA Reductase Expression by Zingiber officinale in the Liver of High-Fat Diet-Fed Rats. Basic and Clinical Pharmacology and Toxicology. Doi: 10.1111/j.1742-7843.2009.00497.x
- Establishing quality standards of herbal extracts standards based on bioactive components - five abstracts have been submitted at conferences on Centella asiatica.
- Two post-doctoral fellowships and one PhD scholarship positioned were advertised and filled.
- Submitted NHMRC grant application (Medicines based on natural products for the treatment of diabetes) which was unsuccessful.
- Submitted ARC Discovery application (Natural/semisynthetic agonist-PPAR activation and their role in anti-diabetic signaling).
Conference abstracts and presentations:
- A Teoh, Omar EA, N Virgona, V Combes, GE Grau, GQ Li, A Preliminary Study on the Effect of Heat Clearing Herbs on the Expression Of Adhesion Molecules In Activated Human Brain Endothelial Cells. Faculties of Health Research Conference, "From Cell to Society 6", 11-12 Nov 2008, Blue Mountains, NSW. P126.
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
Investigate molecular mechanisms, safety and effectiveness of a three herb formula for the treatment of vascular dementia
- Establish a postdoctoral research position and a PhD which is made up of three projects:
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Two laboratory based studies - an in vitro herb drug interaction study and a mechanistic pharmacological study;
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Development of a clinical trial proposal for a Phase II trial of a complex herbal formulation for the management of vascular dementia.
- Submitted NHMRC Project Grant 2009 for proposed Phase II clinical study which was unsuccessful. It will be resubmitted to NNMRC in 2010.
- Presentation of data from the laboratory studies at:
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8th Annual Conference of the Consortium for Globalisation of Chinese Medicine. Nottingham, August, 2009;
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2009 Conference of NICM Collaborative Research Centre for Neurocognition, Melbourne November 2009.
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
Evaluate the effects of selected traditional Chinese medicine herbs on cancer stem cells, immune function modulation and inflammation
- Two draft manuscripts are being drafted on effects of selected Chinese herbal medicines on cancer stem cells:
- Work is in progress to test selected herbs (Curuma longa, Ganderma lucidum and propolis) on immunomodulation and anti-inflammation activities.
Abstracts submitted
1. Eshaifol Omar, Valery Combes, Georges Grau and George Li, Chinese Heat Clearing Herbs as Potential Anti-inflammatory Agents: Effects on the Expression of Adhesion Molecules and Microparticles, Australasian Pharmaceutical Science Association (APSA) Conference, Hobart, Tasmania, 9-11 December, 2009.
2. Iyad Ahmed, Daniel M-Y Sze, Qiuxia Meng, Gray Peng, Nantiga Virgona, Basil Roufogalis, George Q Li, Identification of three fingerprint patterns in propolis from five geographic regions with TLC, HPLC and LC-MS, 2nd International Conference on the Medicinal Use of Honey, Kelantan, Malaysia, 13 - 15 January 2010 (submitted).
3. Eshaifol Omar, Valery Combes, Georges E. Grau, George Li, Propolis Attenuates the Production of Adhesion Molecules and Microparticles in Endothelial Cells: Potential Agent for Prevention of Vascular Complications, 2nd International Conference on the Medicinal Use of Honey, Kelantan, Malaysia, 13 - 15 January 2010 (submitted).
Information taken from November 2009 TCM Collaborative Centre report
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