Meridian passage

"Meridian passage" is not a recognized molecular therapeutic target, such as a receptor, enzyme, or ion channel, in modern pharmacology or drug discovery. The term primarily appears in two disparate fields: Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and astronomy. In TCM, "dredging the meridian passage" (通经络) refers to the therapeutic action of clearing blockages within hypothetical pathways known as meridians, which are believed to facilitate the circulation of life energy (Qi) and blood [1, 9, 11]. While network pharmacology research often attempts to identify modern molecular targets (e.g., MMP9, CXCR4, or AKT1) for herbal decoctions that claim to affect these passages, the "meridian passage" itself is a conceptual framework rather than a discrete biological molecule [1, 11]. In the context of astronomy and navigation, a "meridian passage" refers to the specific moment a celestial body, such as the sun or a star, crosses an observer's local celestial meridian [5, 14, 19]. Because it lacks a molecular structure or defined genetic sequence, it does not possess biological functions in the sense of cellular signaling, nor is it the focus of targeted drug development. There are no known drugs that interact directly with a "meridian passage," and it does not serve as a biomarker for disease monitoring in clinical medicine.

Other names

Meridian transitJingluo (in Traditional Chinese Medicine)Meridian flow

Not applicable; the term refers to a conceptual pathway in Traditional Chinese Medicine or an astronomical event rather than a molecular mechanism.