Traditional Chinese medicines (TCM) and natural products are increasing in popularity among cancer patients as an adjuvant therapy to reduce adverse effects of conventional cancer therapies. However, to date, the lack of unified criteria on “ZHENG” differentiation remains the main obstacle to the widespread application of TCM in the clinical and research settings, and, at least in part, contributes to the unsatisfactory treatment outcome of TCM when used as the sole treatment for cancer. Over the past few decades, many clinical trials have tested the effects of TCM treatments with unsatisfactory randomized controlled trial designs, mainly due to the lack of stratification for the intervention using TCM syndrome differentiation. Therefore, strategies that combine “ZHENG” differentiation and disease diagnosis are considered promising for future cancer treatments.

“ZHENG” is the basic unit and is the basis of TCM treatment. The main goal of TCM is to maintain proper physical functions, and there is an urgent need to explore the molecular mechanism that translates the historically accumulated knowledge and existing practices into “ZHENG” syndrome-based TCM with contemporary cancer therapy. Research in “ZHENG” syndrome differentiation will provide the basis of the molecular network in tumours and reveal interactions between tumours and their microenvironment. The systematic biology approaches of ZHENG syndrome-based clinical manifestations will provide a platform for research and understanding of the principles of TCM practice. Furthermore, “ZHENG” research will help determine the underlying mechanisms of herbal medicines and natural products and are expected to open the way for a new convergence of TCM in cancer treatment.

The aim of this Special Issue is to collate articles describing advances in this field. Original research and review articles are welcome.

Potential topics include but are not limited to the following:

• TCM and natural products in precision medicine for cancer treatment
• Clinical diagnosis, differentiation, distribution, and “ZHENG”-based treatment in cancer
• Molecular basis of “ZHENG” syndrome in cancer
• Omics, bioinformatics, and system biology approach in “ZHENG” research
• The combination of disease and “ZHENG” syndrome in cancer treatment
• “ZHENG” experimental models
• The molecular mechanisms of TCM and natural products in the tumour microenvironment