Deconstructing the relationship between prescriptions and patterns under network image-number thinking:reflection on technological innovation from Chinese original thinking
The occurrence and development of the pattern stem from the intricate interactions among specific biological molecular networks.Thus,broadening the perspective beyond a single molecular factor and investigating the intricate interconnections among molecular network targets across various levels within complex biological systems is essential when exploring the relationship between prescriptions and their corresponding patterns.This article integrates traditional Chinese image-number thinking with modern quantitative analysis,using qualitative"network image thinking"to innovatively apply numerical method in modular pharmacological analysis.This approach explores the connections between macro-level manifestations of complex biological systems and micro-level molecular network features,aiming to elucidate the correlations between prescriptions and patterns across different levels.An original method system of"network image-number thinking"in traditional Chinese medicine was established to systematically reveal the laws and mechanisms underlying the interaction between prescriptions and the human body.The"network image-number thinking"proposed in this paper has multiple core characteristics:it reflects the dialectical unity of"mutual reliance between image and number"and shows the multi-dimensional hierarchy,sequentiality,self-organization,and the emergence of the network system.This paper also elucidates the fundamental features of functional dynamism—which is characterized by the"ease of constant evolution"—and self-regulation,marked by"harmony and symbiosis"within complex network systems.Furthermore,we promote the practicality and superiority of using"network image-number thinking"to guide the module pharmacology when studying the relationship between prescriptions and their corresponding patterns.This thinking method framework provides a novel perspective for developing module pharmacology,effectively highlighting the leading role of original thinking in modern research on traditional Chinese medicine and moving towards a new unified medical system.
image-number thinkingnetwork image thinkingnetwork number thinkingrelationship between prescriptions and patternsmodular pharmacology