TCM-Driven Circadian Modulation in Cancer: Engineering Spatiotemporal Drug Delivery for Precision Oncology

Area of Science:

• Chronobiology
• Oncology
• Pharmacology

Background:

• Circadian disruption is a key factor in cancer development and treatment resistance.
• Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), particularly Chinese herbal medicine (CHM), shows potential in cancer chronotherapy by influencing circadian rhythms.
• CHM constituents can restore clock gene expression, impacting cell cycle, DNA repair, metabolism, and immunity to inhibit tumors.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the role of CHM in correcting circadian dysfunction in cancer.
• To propose a framework for integrating CHM, chronobiology, and precision medicine for cancer treatment.
• To highlight the potential of TCM in advancing cancer chronotherapy.

Main Methods:

• AI-driven construction of personalized circadian maps for intervention timing.
• Development of nanodelivery systems for timed release of CHM.
• Utilizing patient-derived organoids and PDX models for efficacy and toxicity assessment.
• Conducting clinical trials for chrono-guided CHM nanoformulations.

Main Results:

• CHM can resynchronize tumor circadian rhythms, affecting key cancer pathways.
• The proposed framework integrates multi-omics, intelligent delivery, and preclinical models for translational research.
• This approach aims to identify optimal windows for chronotherapeutic interventions.

Conclusions:

• CHM offers a promising approach to cancer chronotherapy by restoring circadian homeostasis.
• An integrated framework can bridge TCM wisdom with modern chronobiology for precision oncology.
• This TCM-inspired strategy transforms cancer treatment from static dosing to dynamic circadian modulation.