中药新产品研发中的文化自信与科学精神刍议
2018-01-22余林中中国药理学会中药与天然药物药理专业委员会副主任委员南方医科大学教授主要从事中药及其有效成分中药复方与治法药理学研究和中药新药研发
余林中(中国药理学会中药与天然药物药理专业委员会副主任委员,南方医科大学教授,主要从事中药及其有效成分、中药复方与治法药理学研究和中药新药研发。)
国家卫生和计划生育委员会副主任、国家中医药管理局局长王国强同志2017年2月24日在人民日报发表《以高度文化自信推动中医药振兴发展》的署名文章。文章强调中医药学是中华民族的瑰宝,是不断丰富发展的医学科学,中医药的发展和突破必将对中华文化和世界文明的未来发展产生巨大的积极作用。众所周知,在人类历史上,很多民族都有自己独特的医药知识或民族医药学。中医药学是中华民族在长期与疾病作斗争的医疗实践中不断积累、发展并传承至今的传统医药学体系,凝聚着中华民族智慧,数千年来为中华民族的繁衍生息做出了巨大贡献。在现代医药学已高度发达的今天,世界上许多传统医学已逐渐淡出乃至消亡,中医药却得到较好的继承和不断的发展,并仍将是中华民族乃至全人类防治疾病、维护健康的重要手段。毋庸置疑,中医药是中华优秀传统文化的杰出代表,是世界传统医药的榜样。对此,我们应有充分的自信。国际药理学联合会(IUPHAR)秘书长Michael SPEDDING教授一行来到今天的论坛或许正缘于此。【WANG Guo-qiang,Deputy Director of State Health and Family Planning Commission and Director of the State Administration of TCM,published a signed article entitledPromoting the Revitalization and the Development of Tradi⁃tional Chinese Medicine with High Cultural Confi⁃dencein thePeople′s Dailyon February 24,2017.The article highlights that TCM is the trea⁃sure of the Chinese nation and a continuously enriched medical science.The development and breakthrough of TCM will certainly have a great positive effect on the future development of Chinese culture and world civilization.As we all know,many ethnic groups have their own unique medical knowledge in the history of mankind.TCM is a traditionalmedicine system thathas been constantly accumulating,developing and inheriting in the process of disease treatments.It reflects the wisdom of the Chinese nation and has made great contributions to the generation and procre⁃ation of the Chinese nation for thousands of years.Nowadays,with the development of modern medical science,a large amount of traditional medicine in the world has been gradually fading out or even dying out.However,TCM is well inheriting and developing.It is still an important means to prevent disease and maintain health for the Chinese nation and all mankind.There is no doubt that TCM is a representative of the excellent traditional Chinese culture and a good sample of the world′s traditional medicine.We should have full confidence about this.This may be the reason why Professor Michael SPED⁃DING,Secretary-General of IUPHAR,and his colleagues come to today′s forum.】
然而,推动中医药振兴发展仅靠对传统文化的自信是不够的,在发展的路径、振兴的方法上我们还要特别强调科学精神。科学精神是贯穿于科学活动的基本精神状态与思维方式,包含着人们在科学实践活动中形成的共同信念、价值标准和行为规范。它约束科学家的行为,也是在科学领域获得成功的保证。中医药学表现为“医学与哲学、自然科学与人文科学的融合和统一”,既具有自然科学属性,亦具有人文和社会等非自然科学属性,而解决中医药学中的自然科学问题就要用自然科学的方法去解决,用科学精神来引领我们的行动。【However,it is not enough to promote the revitalization of TCM only by increasing the confidence in the tradi⁃tional culture.We should emphasize the scientific spirit in the development and revitalization of TCM.The scientific spirit is the basic mental state and the mode of thinking in scientific activities,including the common beliefs,values and criteria of conduct.It guides scientists′behavior and guarantees success in the field of science.TCM is characterized by"the coalescence and the unification of medicine and philosophy,natural sciences and the humanities".It has not only the scientific property,but also the non-scientific property such as the humanities and social sci⁃ences.Therefore,we should solve scientific prob⁃lems in TCM by scientific methods and guide our action by the spirit of science.】
中药新产品研发就属于典型的自然科学问题,就需要也只能用自然科学的方法去解决。至于具体采用什么样的科学方法,从自然科学本质上的统一性来说,无论是中医药的还是现代科学特别是现代医药学的理论、方法和技术都可以灵活应用,中医药与现代医药学的结合更是被提倡并长期践行的方法。中药药理就是中医药与现代医药学交流、融合而形成的新学科。中药药理学科能较多、较快地吸收现代科学的新思想、新理论、新方法、新技术,其最显著的特征在于新,基本研究手段是科学实验。实验是现代科学的基本研究方法,实验研究的客观性、准确性和可重复性是现代医药学优势所在。在很大程度上可以说中药药理是中医药与现代科学最富活力的结合点,也是中药新产品研发过程中不可或缺的研究方法。【The research and development of new products of TCM is a typical problem in natural science,which can be solved only by methods used in natural science.According to the homogeneity of the essence of natural science,both TCM and modern science,espe⁃cially the theories,the methods and the technolo⁃gies of modern science,can be flexibly used to solve the problem.Moreover,the combination of TCM and modern medicine should be advocated and practiced for a long time.The pharmacology of TCM is a new subject which is formed by the exchange of TCM with modern medicine.The pharmacology of TCM rapidly absorbs new theo⁃ries and new methods from modern medicine.So,"novelty"is the most significant feature of this subject.The basic research approach to the pharmacology of TCM is to perform the same scientific experiments as in modern science.The objectivity,accuracy and repeatability of experi⁃ments are the fundamental strength of modern medicine.To a large extent,TCM and modern medicine are combined most in the pharmacology of TCM and this subject is a necessary method in the research and development of new Chinese medicine products.】
我们在中药新产品研究中强调中医药理论的指导作用,但不必像质疑青蒿素是中药还是西药那样过于纠结成果姓“中”还是姓“西”。事实上,青蒿素及与之类似的研究恰恰是在中西医药两种理论和方法指导下进行中药新产品研发的典范,继承不泥古,创新未离宗。而且,像青蒿素这样由中药新产品研发入手解决危害人类健康的现实问题,是中医药振兴发展的更直接方法,是中医药国际化的更有效途径,也充分体现了我们的文化自信和科学精神。【We emphasize the guiding role of TCM theory in the research of new Chinese medicine prod⁃ucts,but there is no need to question whther the products belong to TCM or western medicine,such as artemisinin.In fact,artemisinin and similar studies are excellent examples of new TCM prod⁃ucts under the guidance of the theories and methods of TCM and modern medicine.Innova⁃tion is inseparable from its origin,while inheri⁃tance does not rigidly adhere to the past.More⁃over,performing the research and development of new product of TCM as that of artemisinin is a more direct way to revitalization,development and internationalization ofTCM,which fully embodies our cultural confidence and scientific spirit.】