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Review
. 2024 Jun 18;10(12):e33233.
doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e33233. eCollection 2024 Jun 30.

Proteomics and its application in the research of acupuncture: An updated review

Zhen Zhong  1 , Meng-Meng Sun  1 , Min He  1 , Hai-Peng Huang  1 , Guan-Yu Hu  2 , Shi-Qi Ma  1 , Hai-Zhu Zheng  1 , Meng-Yuan Li  1 , Lin Yao  1 , De-Yu Cong  3 , Hong-Feng Wang  1
Affiliations
Review

Proteomics and its application in the research of acupuncture: An updated review

Zhen Zhong et al. Heliyon. .

Abstract

As a complementary and alternative therapy, acupuncture is widely used in the prevention and treatment of various diseases. However, the understanding of the mechanism of acupuncture effects is still limited due to the lack of systematic biological validation. Notably, proteomics technologies in the field of acupuncture are rapidly evolving, and these advances are greatly contributing to the research of acupuncture. In this study, we review the progress of proteomics research in analyzing the molecular mechanisms of acupuncture for neurological disorders, pain, circulatory disorders, digestive disorders, and other diseases, with an in-depth discussion around acupoint prescription and acupuncture manipulation modalities. The study found that proteomics has great potential in understanding the mechanisms of acupuncture. This study will help explore the mechanisms of acupuncture from a proteomic perspective and provide information to support future clinical decisions.

Keywords: Acupoints; Acupuncture; Electroacupuncture; Proteomics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Overview of the main application features of proteomics technologies. The figure lists the current mainstream and innovative proteomics technologies. It also briefly describes the characteristics of each type of proteomics technology.
Fig. 2
Fig. 2
General research scheme of proteomics techniques acchieved in acupuncture studies. The inner ring (white) in the diagram on the left lists the main modalities of the acupuncture stimulation strategy (acupuncture and electroacupuncture). The outer ring is five color blocks corresponding to neurological, pain, circulatory, digestive, and other disorders. The middle circle is a common prescription of acupoints for major diseases. The figure on the right is a schematic diagram of the sample sources, proteomic methods, bioinformatics analysis, and validation of proteomics studies in acupuncture research.
Fig. 3
Fig. 3
Proteomic characterization of acupuncture mechanisms. The diagram summarizes the overlapping acupoints, therapy, regulated proteins, and phsiologic functions.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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