title: Integration of Chinese medicine with Western medicine could lead to future medicine: molecular module medicine.
abstract: The development of an effective classification method for human health conditions is essential for precise diagnosis and delivery of tailored therapy to individuals. Contemporary classification of disease systems has properties that limit its information content and usability. Chinese medicine pattern classification has been incorporated with disease classification, and this integrated classification method became more precise because of the increased understanding of the molecular mechanisms. However, we are still facing the complexity of diseases and patterns in the classification of health conditions. With continuing advances in omics methodologies and instrumentation, we are proposing a new classification approach: molecular module classification, which is applying molecular modules to classifying human health status. The initiative would be precisely defining the health status, providing accurate diagnoses, optimizing the therapeutics and improving new drug discovery strategy. Therefore, there would be no current disease diagnosis, no disease pattern classification, and in the future, a new medicine based on this classification, molecular module medicine, could redefine health statuses and reshape the clinical practice.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Chi
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China.
authors.forename: Ge
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Cardiovascular Disease Centre, Xiyuan Hospital, China Academy of Chinese Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100091, China.
authors.forename: Ke-ji
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Institute for Advancing Translational Medicine in Bone and Joint Diseases, Hong Kong Baptist University, Hong Kong SAR, China. aipinglu@hkbu.edu.hk.
authors.forename: Ai-ping
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D004194:Disease; D006801:Humans; D008516:Medicine, Chinese Traditional; D062346:Molecular Medicine
keywords: Chinese medicine pattern classification; classification of disease; methodology; molecular module medicine