To explore the advantages of traditional Chinese medicine （TCM） and integrative TCM-Western medicine approaches in the treatment of diabetic microvascular complications （DMC）， refine key pathophysiological insights and treatment principles， and promote academic innovation and strategic research planning in the prevention and treatment of DMC. The 38th session of the Expert Salon on Diseases Responding Specifically to Traditional Chinese Medicine， hosted by the China Association of Chinese Medicine， was held in Beijing， 2024. Experts in TCM， Western medicine， and interdisciplinary fields convened to conduct a systematic discussion on the pathogenesis， diagnostic and treatment challenges， and mechanism research related to DMC， ultimately forming a consensus on key directions. Four major research recommendations were proposed. The first is addressing clinical bottlenecks in the prevention and control of DMC by optimizing TCM-based evidence evaluation systems. The second is refining TCM core pathogenesis across DMC stages and establishing corresponding "disease-pattern-time" framework. The third is innovating mechanism research strategies to facilitate a shift from holistic regulation to targeted intervention in TCM. The fourth is advancing interdisciplinary collaboration to enhance the role of TCM in new drug development， research prioritization， and guideline formulation. TCM and integrative approaches offer distinct advantages in managing DMC. With a focus on the diseases responding specifically to TCM， strengthening evidence-based support and mechanism interpretation and promoting the integration of clinical care and research innovation will provide strong momentum for the modernization of TCM and the advancement of national health strategies.

This paper introduces the "eight-dimensional materia medica framework" theory proposed by Professor TONG Xiaolin and， in light of his academic perspectives and clinical experience， explores its inheritance and innovation of the concept of "four pillars of medicinals" by ZHANG Jiebin of Ming-dynasty from multiple angles. Building upon the four foundational medicinals， Renshen （Panax ginseng）， Shudihuang （Rehmannia glutinosa Praeparata）， Fuzi （Aconitum carmichaelii Praeparata）， and Dahuang （Rheum palmatum）， as the "four pillars of medicinals"， and using eight-principle pattern differentiation framework， this theory expands the representative medicinals to eight. It establishes the "eight-dimensional materia medica framework"， i.e. exterior-Mahuang （Ephedra sinica）， interior-Rougui （Cinnamomum cassia）， cold-Huanglian （Coptis chinensis）， heat-Ganjiang （Zingiber officinale）， deficiency-Renshen （Panax ginseng）， excess-Dahuang （Rheum palmatum）， yin-Shudihuang （Rehmannia glutinosa Praeparata）， and yang-Fuzi （Aconitum carmichaelii Praeparata）. This framework highlights the pivotal roles of these eight medicinals in the treatment of exterior and interior patterns， cold and heat syndromes， deficiency and excess conditions， as well as yin deficiency and yang deficiency. Integrated with the state-target differentiation and treatment theory， this approach enriches the traditional actions of the eight representative medicinals by incorporating findings from modern pharmacological research， achieving a transition from macroscopic regulation of pathological states to microscopic target-oriented intervention. Furthermore， through investigations into dose-effect relationships and the expansion of principles for herbal compatibility， the clinical practicality of the "eight-dimensional materia medica framework" is further demonstrated， promoting the integrative development of Chinese and western medicine at the level of clinical application of Chinese materia medica.

By reconstructing the integrated Chinese and western medicine diagnostic and treatment system， the "Two Reconstructions" theoretical framework establishes a standardized pathway of "classification-staging-syndrome differentiation"， which improves the accuracy of disease identification and strengthens the capacity for full-course intervention； in addition， by reconstructing the modern materia medica system， it innovatively integrates the traditional properties and efficacy of Chinese herbal medicinals with modern pharmacological mechanisms， forming a "state-target co-regulation" precise medication model， and builds a dose-effect theoretical system for prescriptions and medicinals， thereby enhancing both the targeting accuracy and dosage precision of therapeutic interventions. The "Two Reconstructions" theorecitcal framework is a key strategy for enhancing clinical efficacy. It can precisely identify "states" and "targets" for directed intervention， shift the focus of prevention and treatment earlier to enable full-cycle management， establish standardized paradigms for reproducible and evaluable efficacy， and expand the scope of clinical practice to address conditions without typical syndromes and critical illnesses. As a systematic pathway for innovation in TCM， this theoretical framework provides valuable insights and references for promoting the high-quality development of integrative Chinese and western medicine.

Colitis is a common intestinal disease characterized by a chronic course, impaired quality of life and poor prognosis. Due to the anatomical specificity of the colon, the development of targeted and efficient drug delivery systems has become a research focus. With the rapid development of nanotechnology, nano drug delivery systems have been widely used in colitis treatment owing to their ease of preparation, controllable quality and excellent targeting capability. In this review, the general situation of colitis was summarized. Based on the classification of drug delivery carriers of different materials, the application progress of organic polymers, inorganic materials, biological and metallic nano drug delivery systems in colitis therapy was introduced. The potential of these four types of nano drug delivery systems was summarized and analyzed.

Carrier-free self-assembled nanodrugs show broad application prospects in cancer treatment. Compared with carrier-based nanodrugs, carrier-free self-assembled nanodrugs have the advantages of strong targeting ability and high safety, which can significantly improve the therapeutic efficacy against cancer. Their preparation process is simple, involving a variety of non-covalent interactions, and they exhibit better biocompatibility and immune effects in vaccine development. Carrier-free self-assembled nanodrugs can be divided into nanodrugs based on prodrugs, free drugs, and amphiphilic drug conjugates. In this review, the preparation methods of these three types of carrier-free self-assembled nanodrugs and their research progress in cancer treatment in recent years were summarized, and their clinical applications and future prospects were discussed.

Pullulan, a natural polysaccharide, has good biocompatibility and biodegradability. Pullulan and its derivatives show broad application prospects in tumor-targeted delivery and therapy. In this review, various nano delivery systems based on pullulan and its derivatives were reviewed. Among them, pullulan-related nanogels, nanoparticles, and nanomicelles can enhance the targeting and penetration of chemotherapeutic drugs while reducing toxicity to normal tissues, pullulan-related gene nano delivery systems can show good performance and improve gene transfection efficiency, and pullulan-related bioresponsive nano delivery systems can further enhance therapeutic efficacy while avoiding multidrug resistance.

Biomineralization is a unique process for generating biominerals and has become a popular area of research in biomedical materials due to its excellent biocompatibility and biodegradability, as well as the simple and economical synthesis process. In this review, the fundamental concepts of biomineralization and the principles of organic matrix-induced nucleation were introduced. According to the biomimetic mineralization technology mediated by matrices such as proteins and their derivatives, nucleic acids, nanozymes, polysaccharides, organisms, polymers and metal-organic frameworks, the application progress of biomineralization technology to drug delivery by protecting active molecules, constructing drug carriers and responding to acidic environments was reviewed. The difficult problems to be solved were also summarized.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a highly aggressive malignancy predominantly managed via chemotherapy. Our clinical sample analysis revealed a significant correlation between elevated CD24 expression in TNBC tumor cells and patient survival rates. We developed a novel antibody-drug conjugate (ADC), named HN03, consisting of an antibody with engineered cysteines for site-specific conjugation with a low toxic nitric oxide (NO) precursor as its payload through a novel Pt(IV)-mediated bioorthogonal self-cleavable linker. HN03 specifically targets tumor cells expressing high levels of CD24, concurrently generating cisplatin and releasing NO upon activation. HN03 also exhibited potent in vitro and in vivo antitumor activity. It significantly reduced tumor growth at various doses, prevented tumor metastasis, with markedly lower toxicity than traditional chemotherapy agents. We found that a key mechanism of its action involved inducing apoptosis and endoplasmic reticulum stress, substantially decreasing the number of M2-type macrophages. Overall, HN03 stands out as a promising therapeutic option for TNBC, offering a targeted treatment with reduced side effects and the potential for improved outcomes. Furthermore, using Pt(IV) in the linker and an NO precursor as the payload enhances the versatility of the Antibody-NO donor Conjugate (ANC), offering new avenues for the design of the next generation of ADCs.

According to zang-fu （脏腑） wind-damp theory， it is believed that wind， cold， and dampness are internal pathogenic factors that， when stagnated， transform into heat and invade the zang-fu organs， leading to chronic conditions. Heat is seen as a manifestation， while cold is considered the root cause. When external factors trigger these latent pathogens， the disease of the zang-fu organs exacerbates or relapses， often presenting with a complex syndrome of cold and heat. Based on this theory， the viewpoint of "for complex syndrome of cold and heat， cold is the root" is proposed. It suggests that for diseases with a complex cold-heat syndrome， external invasion of wind， cold， and dampness are the initiating factors. During the acute phase， treatment should focus on dispelling and eliminating the pathogens to promote the expulsion of the latent wind， cold， and dampness. During the remission phase， the focus shifts to reinforcing the healthy qi and tonifying the root， allowing the cold and dampness to be cleared. Internal dampness originates from the spleen； therefore， regulating the spleen and stomach， and dispersing cold and removing dampness is the key to treating wind-damp disorders of zang-fu organs. Cold and dampness are both yin pathogens， which damage yang qi， and repeated invasions of wind， cold， and dampness obstruct the qi flow of the zang-fu organs， progressively weakening yang qi. Hence， it is necessary to protect yang qi， and thereafter dispelling cold and dampness by warming yang. The theory that "for complex syndrome of cold and heat， cold is the root" provides guidance for the clinical application and the treatment of complex and difficult diseases in traditional Chinese medicine.

BACKGROUND:With advancements in stem cell research,the therapeutic efficacy of adult stem cells such as endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells in atherosclerosis and complications arising from atherosclerosis and vascular stent implantation is gradually being recognized.Due to the limitations of intravenous infusion of adult stem cells,including poor targeting and low treatment efficiency,recent research has focused on surface modification of vascular stents to achieve localized aggregation and functional modulation of endothelial progenitor cells or mesenchymal stem cells. OBJECTIVE:To discuss the therapeutic progress of endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells in vascular stent-related diseases,summarize the research status of the design of vascular stents based on endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells. METHODS:Relevant literature was retrieved on CNKI,WanFang,PubMed,and Web of Science databases since their inception.The Chinese search terms were"endothelial injury,stenting,thrombosis,intimal hyperplasia,atherosclerosis,endothelial repair,endothelial progenitor cell,mesenchymal stem cell,vascular stent."English search terms were"endothelial injury,stenting,thrombosis,intimal hyperplasia,atherosclerosis,endothelial repair,endothelial regeneration,endothelial progenitor cell,mesenchymal stem cell,vascular stent,vascular scaffold."According to inclusion and exclusion criteria,127 articles were finally reviewed. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION:Endothelial progenitor cells and mesenchymal stem cells can treat atherosclerosis and complications of stent implantation through differentiation and paracrine effects,mainly by protecting endothelial cells,regulating the expression of inflammatory cells and cytokines,and modulating smooth muscle cell proliferation and phenotype.Mesenchymal stem cells may have adverse reactions such as thrombosis and vascular calcification in therapeutic applications,and using extracellular vesicles and co-administration with heparin for surface modification is a feasible solution.Currently,there is more research on stents based on endothelial progenitor cells,mainly focusing on recruitment,capture,proliferation,differentiation,and activity.Research on stents based on mesenchymal stem cell capture in the vascular field is relatively scarce,but exosome-loaded stents derived from mesenchymal stem cells have been found to have highly effective therapeutic efficacy.Additionally,some underlying diseases such as diabetes may affect the activity of adult stem cells,leading to the loss of effectiveness in stem cell-based stent designs.Therefore,in future stent designs,consideration should be given to the background diseases.