Wang Mei, Lamers Robert-Jan A N, Korthout Henrie A A J, van Nesselrooij Joop H J, Witkamp Renger F, van der Heijden Rob, Voshol Peter J, Havekes Louis M, Verpoorte Rob, van der Greef Jan
SU Biomedicine, Utrechtsweg 48, P. O. Box 360, 3700 AJ Zeist, The Netherlands.
Phytother Res. 2005 Mar;19(3):173-82. doi: 10.1002/ptr.1624.
The introduction of the concept of systems biology, enabling the study of living systems from a holistic perspective based on the profiling of a multitude of biochemical components, opens up a unique and novel opportunity to reinvestigate natural products. In the study of their bioactivity, the necessary reductionistic approach on single active components has been successful in the discovery of new medicines, but at the same time the synergetic effects of components were lost. Systems biology, and especially metabolomics, is the ultimate phenotyping. It opens up the possibility of studying the effect of complex mixtures, such as those used in Traditional Chinese Medicine, in complex biological systems; abridging it with molecular pharmacology. This approach is considered to have the potential to revolutionize natural product research and to advance the development of scientific based herbal medicine.
系统生物学概念的引入,使得基于对众多生化成分的分析从整体角度研究生命系统成为可能,这为重新研究天然产物带来了独特而新颖的契机。在天然产物生物活性的研究中,针对单一活性成分的必要的还原论方法在新药发现方面取得了成功,但与此同时各成分的协同效应却被忽视了。系统生物学,尤其是代谢组学,是终极表型分析方法。它开启了在复杂生物系统中研究复杂混合物(如中药中使用的混合物)作用的可能性;并将其与分子药理学相结合。这种方法被认为有潜力彻底改变天然产物研究,并推动基于科学的草药医学发展。