The apparent success of homeopathy is often attributed to a collaborative, holistic, and empathic consultation and to the practitioner-patient relationship. Despite the practitioner's consultative style being shown to affect patient's health outcomes in conventional medicine, most research into the homeopathic consultation has focused on patients' experiences.

However, the practitioner is a crucial component of the therapeutic context and may therefore have an important part to play in optimizing health outcomes in homeopathy. Additionally, the mechanisms underlying therapist effects are still poorly understood in clinical medicine generally and particularly so in homeopathy.

AIM:
The aim of this research is to gain an in-depth understanding of homeopathic practitioners' perceptions and experiences of the consultation, and the process of engaging with the patient and prescribing the remedy. We propose to generate a theoretical model to explain the processes that underpin the homeopathic consultation.

DESIGN:
This is a qualitative study using grounded theory methodology. Two (2) phases of data collection will be involved. Phase 1 will involve face-to-face in-depth interviews with homeopaths. From these interviews, a theoretical model of the homeopathic consultation will be developed. Phase 2 of data collection will involve observations of homeopathic consultations and the use of practitioner diaries in order to test the emerging theoretical model from phase 1. Homeopaths will be sampled from the Faculty of Homeopathy and the Society of Homeopaths.

RESULTS: Results will be available in summer 2009.

CONCLUSIONS: The findings from this study will lead to the development of a theoretical model of how homeopaths view and enact the consultation process. Revealing this process may influence the training of new practitioners and improve the practice of experienced practitioners and will therefore be of benefit to patients. In addition, the findings may be of potential benefit to practitioners of other therapeutic consultations.


"Homeopathic practitioner's experiences of the homeopathic consultation: a protocol of a grounded theory study."
J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Apr; 15(4): 347-52Eyles C, Walker J, Brien S (Hubmed.org)

Med Law. 2009 Mar; 28(2): 269-82Laso LR, Alfonso-Galán MTThis paper discusses the question of whether anthroposophic medicinal products can be treated in the European Union as regards registration and marketing authorization, in the same way as homeopathic medicinal products. European Union legislation, European official pharmacopoeias, and bibliography in this regard have been revised. European Directives make a single reference in one of its whereas clauses to anthroposophic medicinal products "described in an official pharmacopoeia and prepared by a homeopathic method". It is referring to those which comply with these two conditions, but it happens that there is no anthroposophic medicinal product "described" in any European official pharmacopoeia. Legislators have known this and continue to be aware of it and have not agreed to extend (since 1992), the reference to anthroposophic products neither do they accept the inclusion of that peculiarity on the label of homeopathic medicinal products. Anthroposophy presents notable variations from homeopathy and it introduces philosophical and "spiritual" variables that are difficult to assess objectively. It is necessary for these products to show, using a scientific methodology, that they are truly bringing patients the therapeutic benefits they claim. In any case, their authorization and registration should not be at the expense of homeopathy, already a highly complex field in its own right.

Invest New Drugs. 2009 Aug 25; Zhang Z, Meng T, He J, Li M, Tong LJ, Xiong B, Lin L, Shen J, Miao ZH, Ding JTargeting cellular mitosis is an attractive antitumor strategy. Here, we reported MT7, a novel compound from the 6H-Pyrido[2',1':2,3]imidazo [4,5-c]isoquinolin- 5(6H)-one library generated by using the multi-component reaction strategy, as a new mitotic inhibitor. MT7 elicited apparent inhibition of cell proliferation by arresting mitosis specifically and reversibly in various tumor cell lines originating from different human tissues. Detailed mechanistic studies revealed that MT7 induced typical gene expression profiles related to mitotic arrest shown by cDNA microarray assays. Connectivity Map was used to analyze the microarray data and suggested that MT7 was possibly a tubulin inhibitor due to its similar gene expression profiles to those of the known tubulin inhibitors demecolcine, celastrol and paclitaxel. Further analyses demonstrated that MT7 inhibited the polymerization of cellular microtubules although it was not detectable to bind to purified tubulin. The inhibition of cellular tubulin polymerization by MT7 subsequently resulted in the disruption of mitotic spindle formation, activated the spindle assembly checkpoint and consequently arrested the cells at mitosis. The persistent mitotic arrest by the treatment with MT7 led the tested tumor cells to apoptosis. Our data indicate that MT7 could act as a promising lead for further optimization, in hopes of developing new anticancer therapeutics and being used to probe the biology of mitosis, specifically, the mode of interference with microtubules.

Danshen and gegen (D&G) have long been used in treatment of angina and other cardiac symptoms in Chinese materia medica. Recent pharmacological studies suggest their therapeutic values. We aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of Salvia miltiorrhiza (danshen) and Pueraria lobata (gegen) in secondary prevention.

METHODS:
One hundred (100) consecutive coronary patients (mean age 58 +/- 8 years) were randomized to adjunctive treatment with D&G combination (3 g) or placebo (6 capsules) for 24 weeks in double-blind parallel fashion, followed by optional open-label D&G (1.5 g/day) for 6 more months. Brachial flow-mediated dilation (FMD) and carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) were measured using ultrasound.

RESULTS:
Baseline characteristics were similar between the 2 groups. After 24 weeks and compared with baseline, there were no significant changes in blood pressures, blood hematological and biochemical profiles, or folate and homocysteine levels in both groups,

CONCLUSIONS:
D&G adjunctive treatment in coronary patients was well tolerated and effective in improving vascular function and structure. These two herbs may become a novel agent for secondary prevention.



"The efficacy and tolerability of adjunctive alternative herbal medicine (Salvia miltiorrhiza and Pueraria lobata) on vascular function and structure in coronary patients"
J Altern Complement Med. 2009 Apr; 15(4): 415-21Tam WY, Chook P, Qiao M, Chan LT, Chan TY, Poon YK, Fung KP, Leung PC, Woo KS