Bilal M, Nashwan AJ. Challenges in integrating traditional Chinese medicine and gut microbiota research for insomnia treatment. World J Clin Cases 2024; 12(29): 6271-6274 [PMID: 39417049 DOI: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i29.6271]
Corresponding Author of This Article
Abdulqadir J Nashwan, MSc, Research Scientist, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Rayyan Road, Doha 3050, Qatar. anashwan@hamad.qa
Research Domain of This Article
Integrative & Complementary Medicine
Article-Type of This Article
Editorial
Open-Access Policy of This Article
This article is an open-access article which was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution Non Commercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/
World J Clin Cases. Oct 16, 2024; 12(29): 6271-6274 Published online Oct 16, 2024. doi: 10.12998/wjcc.v12.i29.6271
Challenges in integrating traditional Chinese medicine and gut microbiota research for insomnia treatment
Maham Bilal, Abdulqadir J Nashwan
Maham Bilal, Department of Internal Medicine, Dow University of Health Sciences, Karachi 74200, Pakistan
Abdulqadir J Nashwan, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Doha 3050, Qatar
Author contributions: Bilal M and Nashwan AJ contributed to manuscript conceptualization, writing, editing, and literature review; all authors have read and approved the final manuscript.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.
Open-Access: This article is an open-access article that was selected by an in-house editor and fully peer-reviewed by external reviewers. It is distributed in accordance with the Creative Commons Attribution NonCommercial (CC BY-NC 4.0) license, which permits others to distribute, remix, adapt, build upon this work non-commercially, and license their derivative works on different terms, provided the original work is properly cited and the use is non-commercial. See: https://creativecommons.org/Licenses/by-nc/4.0/
Corresponding author: Abdulqadir J Nashwan, MSc, Research Scientist, Department of Nursing and Midwifery Research, Hamad Medical Corporation, Rayyan Road, Doha 3050, Qatar. anashwan@hamad.qa
Received: June 4, 2024 Revised: June 25, 2024 Accepted: July 4, 2024 Published online: October 16, 2024 Processing time: 84 Days and 22.9 Hours
Abstract
The gut microbiome is an extensive variety of bacteria with a range of metabolic capabilities that can be pathogenic, beneficial, or opportunistic. Changes in the gut microbiota's composition can affect the link between gut integrity and host health as well as cause disruptions to numerous neurological systems. The second most prevalent mental health problem, insomnia has a negative social and economic impact. Currently, it is becoming increasingly obvious how crucial it is to preserve the delicate balance of gut microbiota to treat illness-related symptoms like insomnia. Although traditional Chinese medicine has proposed an effective strategy against insomnia through gut microbiota alteration in animal models, studies in human models are limited. This decreases the predictive value of the studies in terms of human outcomes. This editorial places an emphasis on cultural sensitivity rather than scientific reasoning that promotes the use of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). We aim to emphasize the concern that promoting TCM could divert resources from conventional medical research, leading to suboptimal care.
Core Tip: This editorial outlines the limitations of the application of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) in treating insomnia. The paucity of research on human models decreases the reliability of scientific reasoning which backs the efficacy of combined microbial gut-brain axis and TCM treatment for insomnia. This editorial also emphasizes the cultural sensitivity surrounding TCM use. We also discourage excessive fund allocation to TCM research as it could harm the research potential of Western medicine which is more effective against insomnia.
