Topological Atlas and Repository for Acupoint research (TARA)

Acupuncture is a millennia-old therapy, which is increasingly being integrated in conventional care for the treatment of a range of conditions, particularly chronic pain disorders. A critical component of acupuncture therapy is the existence of specific locations across the body surface where inserting and manipulating a needle can engender salubrious, clinically beneficial effects. These locations are termed acupuncture points, or acupoints, and have been the source of much controversy for the acupuncture research field. Indeed, lack of clarity on the biological basis of acupoints has greatly hindered their more widespread integration into clinical care. Several decades ago, the World Health Organization sought to standardize body locations for 361 commonly acknowledged acupoints. However, bringing together traditional acupoint nomenclature with conventional understanding of anatomy/physiology is still a work in progress, and a comprehensive understanding of the anatomy and physiology of acupoints continues to elude researchers in this field. Hence, the creation and sustained curation of an open-access repository and database for acupoint research would create an important bridge between traditional theory and modern understanding of anatomy and physiology. We propose an open-access web-based portal and database incorporating 1) an acupoint ontology using both Traditional East Asian Medicine (TEAM) and conventional biological nomenclature systems, 2) male and female standardized human and rat body atlases with 3D coordinate system, and 3) an easily searchable database, curated by an expert committee, that contains previously published physiological data associated with acupoint stimulation. Our platform, called the Topological Atlas and Repository for Acupoint research (TARA), forms an invaluable Research Resource Center for the acupuncture research and clinical community by strengthening the biological basis of acupoints, facilitating acupuncture integration into clinical care. Our platform will be highly consistent with NCCIH priorities and objectives to advance fundamental science and methods development, advance research on the whole person, integrate complementary and conventional care, and facilitate further creation of objective, evidence-based information supporting acupuncture.