Open-Access TCM Database
Fang YC, Huang HC, Chen HH, Juan HF. TCMGeneDIT: a database for associated traditional Chinese medicine, gene and disease information using text mining. BMC Complement Altern Med. 2008 Oct 14;8(1):58. PMID: 18854039
Researchers in Taiwan have developed an database integrating information about traditional Chinese medicines, genes, and diseases using text mining. The database, TCMGeneDIT, is designed to retrieve knowledge hidden in the large quantity of literature about TCM and to present distilled information about associated genes and diseases to users in a concise form.
The authors plan to populate the database with information not previously available in English along with Western sources.
"Future research includes expanding database contents by adding information on prescription composite formulae, TCM ingredient structures, as well as integrating the relationships among Western drugs, genes and diseases, and creating TCM Ontology to describe TCMs and their properties and attributes. We are also planning on developing new rules and extend existing patterns for extracting more relations about TCMs. Furthermore, we intend to offer query functions for network visualization, thus enhancing the study of therapeutic pathways involving TCMs and genes."
For more information, and to test-drive the application, visit the TCMGeneDIT website.
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technorati tags: complementary and alternative medicine integrative medicine
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