Network Pharmacological Analysis of TCM Formulae Based on the Syndrome Ontology and Multidimensional Quantitative Association Computing Platform

Current network pharmacology methods for TCM formulae predict potential active ingredients and mechanisms of action for specific diseases by constructing a formula-ingredient-target-pathway-disease network. Syndrome differentiation and treatment, a core principle of TCM, embodies its holistic and dynamic approach, emphasizing individual variability and disease progression. By integrating syndrome characteristics into this network, researchers can develop multi-target drugs tailored to each disease stage, enabling precise and personalized treatment. The TCM Syndrome Ontology and Multidimensional Quantitative Association Computing Platform (SoFDA) allow the incorporation of TCM syndromes into network pharmacology analysis. In this study, we used Lingguizhugan Decoction (formula) as an example to demonstrate its application in treating obesity with Yang Deficiency Syndrome and Dampness-Phlegm Syndrome (syndromes). We first identified key active ingredients from the TCMSP database. We then constructed a network linking diseases, syndromes, target genes, and signaling pathways using SoFDA. Finally, we integrated these data to build a formula-ingredient-target-pathway-syndrome-disease network.