心2 NIH Public access △ g Author Manuscript Fitoterapia. Author manuscript available in PMC 2012 January I Published in final edited form as Fitoterapia. 201 1 January; 82(1): 17-33. doi: 10. 1016/j. fitote 2010 11.017 Developing a library of authenticated Traditional chinese Medicinal (TCM) plants for systematic biological evaluation Rationale, methods and preliminary results from a sino American collaboration David M. Eisenberga, c,, Eric S.J. Harris, b, Bruce A Littlefield a, b, Shugeng Caoa,b,Jane A Craycrofta, Robert Scholtena, Peter Baylissd,e, Yanling Fuf, Wenquan Wang g, Yanjiang Qiao, Zhongzhen Zhao, Hubiao Chen, Yong Liu9, Ted Kaptchuka, C, Wi!liam C.Hahn Xiaoxing Wang d, Thomas Roberts, caroline E Shamu!, and Jon Clardya, b a osher Research Center, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and ntegrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue Suite 1030 Boston mA 02115. USA b Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave, Boston MA 02115, USA c Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center Boston ma 02215. USA d department of Cancer Biology and Medical Oncology Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston MA 02115. USA e Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115 USA f International Cooperation Center, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bai San Huan Dong Lu, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100029, PR China 9 School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No 6 Wangjing Zhong Huan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District Beijing 100102, PR China h School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR Chi ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA Abstract While the popularity of and expenditures for herbal therapies(aka"ethnomedicines)have creased globally in recent years, their efficacy, safety, mechanisms of action, potential as novel herapeutic agents, cost-effectiveness, or lack thereof, remain poorly defined and controversial Moreover, published clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of herbal therapies have rightfully been criticized, post hoc, for their lack of quality assurance and reproducibility of study materials, as DEdicated to Dr Norman R. Famsworth of the University of Illinois at Chicago for his pioneering work on botanical natural ld authority in the field of pharmacognosy Corresponding author. Osher Research Center, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue Suite 1030, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel:+1 6174328550, fax: + 617432 1616 David Eisenberg ahms. harvard. edu(D M. Eisenberg)Developing a library of authenticated Traditional Chinese Medicinal (TCM) plants for systematic biological evaluation — Rationale, methods and preliminary results from a Sino￾American collaboration☆ David M. Eisenberga,c,* , Eric S.J. Harrisa,b, Bruce A. Littlefielda,b, Shugeng Caoa,b, Jane A. Craycrofta, Robert Scholtena, Peter Baylissd,e, Yanling Fuf , Wenquan Wangg, Yanjiang Qiaod, Zhongzhen Zhaoh, Hubiao Chenh, Yong Liug, Ted Kaptchuka,c, William C. Hahnd, Xiaoxing Wangd, Thomas Robertsd, Caroline E. Shamui , and Jon Clardya,b a Osher Research Center, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue Suite 1030, Boston, MA 02115, USA b Department of Biological Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Ave., Boston MA 02115, USA c Department of Medicine, Division of General Internal Medicine, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, Boston MA 02215, USA d Department of Cancer Biology and Medical Oncology, Dana Farber Cancer Institute, Boston, MA 02115, USA e Department of Pathology, Harvard Medical School, 240 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA f International Cooperation Center, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, 11 Bai San Huan Dong Lu, Chao Yang District, Beijing 100029, PR China g School of Chinese Pharmacy, Beijing University of Chinese Medicine, No. 6 Wangjing Zhong Huan Nan Lu, Chaoyang District Beijing 100102, PR China h School of Chinese Medicine, Hong Kong Baptist University, 7 Baptist University Road, Kowloon Tong, Hong Kong Special Administrative Region, PR China i ICCB-Longwood Screening Facility and Department of Systems Biology, Harvard Medical School, 250 Longwood Avenue, Boston, MA 02115, USA Abstract While the popularity of and expenditures for herbal therapies (aka “ethnomedicines”) have increased globally in recent years, their efficacy, safety, mechanisms of action, potential as novel therapeutic agents, cost-effectiveness, or lack thereof, remain poorly defined and controversial. Moreover, published clinical trials evaluating the efficacy of herbal therapies have rightfully been criticized, post hoc, for their lack of quality assurance and reproducibility of study materials, as ☆Dedicated to Dr. Norman R. Farnsworth of the University of Illinois at Chicago for his pioneering work on botanical natural products, his superb inspiration and leadership as world authority in the field of pharmacognosy. *Corresponding author. Osher Research Center, Division for Research and Education in Complementary and Integrative Medical Therapies, Harvard Medical School, 77 Louis Pasteur Avenue Suite 1030, Boston, MA 02115, USA. Tel.: +1 617 432 8550; fax: +1 617 432 1616. David_Eisenberg@hms.harvard.edu (D.M. Eisenberg). NIH Public Access Author Manuscript Fitoterapia. Author manuscript; available in PMC 2012 January 1. Published in final edited form as: Fitoterapia. 2011 January ; 82(1): 17–33. doi:10.1016/j.fitote.2010.11.017. 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