I just read an interesting article in Times Higher Education about a UK-based stem cell researcher, Stephen Minger, advocating study of traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) such as herbal extracts and acupuncture. He advocates for more resources to be allocated to teaching principles of TCM and identifying pathways affected by and active compounds in herbal extracts and other TCMs ( he has observed effects in cell culture, so they [herbals] are clearly doing something ). He also says that shaking off “snobbery” of research scientists in the Western world is a pre-requisite for progress in this field.

A good quote from Minger on the subject:
“There is nothing wrong with a mixture of Eastern and Western philosophy or technology as long as it is taught by people who know what they are doing and that it is serious and it is rigorous.”

Is it possible that sometimes all our skepticism gets in the way of scientific progress? Many medicines in use today were derived from trees, plants, etc and were used for eons without a thorough understanding of how and why they work (aspirin is one of these, as a very basic example). What if Minger is right? What if there is real promise in TCM, but we as researchers are too snobby and skeptical to try it out?