HOME > Research Activities      TKM standardization research is designed to sharpen TKM’s competitive edge. This is achieved by establishing scientific technological standards in the areas of TKM pattern identification diagnosis and treatment technologies such as acupuncture, moxibustion, meridians, and herbal medicine. Acupuncture and moxibustion treatment technologies are standardized through clinical researches to evaluate their efficacy and safety with the use of basic research to prove their mechanism of action. Application based herbal medicine, one of the essential treatment methods, is expanded by securing a variety of herbal medicine resources and clearly defining their origins. In addition, there is research underway regarding extraction and storage of medicinal herbs mainly used for herbal formulas; analysis of their mechanism of action; and identification of their efficacy and safety.   Such standardized research is intended to realize Evidence-Based Medicine (EBM) for traditional treatment techniques, such as acupuncture, moxibustion, medical herbs, and herbal formulas.     Acupuncture, Moxibustion, and Meridian Research Center Building standardizations in acupuncture treatment through clinical efficacy of Korean acupuncture research   - Establishment of a Database of Traditional Korean Acupuncture Techniques - Building of clinical evidence in acupuncture and moxibustion for various conditions Exploring mechanisms of acupuncture and electronic characteristics of acupuncture points   - Search acupuncture mechanisms through the use of experimental animal models - Explore the characteristics of electricity and the nervous system of the meridian system Building international standards for Korean Acupuncture   - Establishment of the Network for Acupuncture Multi-center Trial - Research developing global standardizations for acupuncture and moxibustion               Herbal Medicine Resources Research Center Securitization of a wide range of herbal medicine resources   - Obtainment of confirmatory samples and extracts/genomes of original plants that are used in herbal remedies - Study of their morphological, molecular biological and chemical characteristics in order to develop foolproof technologies and distinguish herbal medicine resources that are currently misused Demonstration of herbal medicine resource efficacy   - Comparison and validation of the anti-inflammatory, antithrombotic and anticarcinogenic efficacy of each original species based on TKM theory - Development of herbal medicine materials that are useful in treating and preventing a variety of diseases such as inflammation, thrombosis, cancer, allergy, and obesity       Herbal Medicine EBM Research Center Standardization   - Standardization of dosage, components, and usage of herbal formulas - Establishment of storage and distribution standards for herbal formulas - Establishment of simultaneous analysis methods for multiple herbal formula components Safety research   - Safety of herbal formulas against general toxicity (acute and sub-chronic toxicity) and genotoxicity - Toxicity of herbal medicine when used in combination with Western medicine Efficacy research   - Efficacy and mechanism of herbal formulas and extracts plus the fractionation of herbal medicine - Changes in efficacy in the case of co-administration of herbal and Western medicine - ADME (absorption, distribution, metabolism, elimination) for herbal medicine - Anti-inflammatory, immune, allergic, digestive, and urogenital diseases