This study aimed to examine the usage, awareness, and satisfaction related to generative AI (GenAI) among undergraduate students at a Traditional Korean Medicine (TKM) college in Korea and to identify factors associated with GenAI use and satisfaction. A structured questionnaire consisting of 56 items across six domains was administered, covering demographics, general and TKM-specific GenAI use, satisfaction, educational experiences, and future expectations. Descriptive statistics, univariable analysis, multivariable logistic regression, and correlation analysis were performed. A total of 234 students across six academic years participated in the survey. Most respondents were aware of GenAI (88.5 %) and used it for general purposes (79.9 %). However, only 16.2 % actively used it for TKM learning. While 70.4 % were satisfied with using GenAI in general, only 45.8 % felt satisfied with its use for TKM education. Factors significantly associated with GenAI use or satisfaction included enrollment in the TKM curriculum, older age, prior major, scholarship receipt, and self-directed GenAI learning. Although only 18.8 % had experienced GenAI in formal TKM courses, 96.2 % viewed GenAI as necessary in TKM education. A notable gap exists between students' interest and the limited integration of GenAI in TKM curricula. To close this gap, GenAI should be systematically incorporated into educational programs, accompanied by faculty training and institutional support to enhance students' digital readiness and learning outcomes.

Cold hypersensitivity in hands and feet (CHHF) affects 20–52% of East Asian populations, is more prevalent in women, and is managed with vasodilators in Western medicine or herbal therapies in traditional East Asian medicine. This study was conducted to compare the pharmacological characteristics of two heat-clearing (HCHs, Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma) and two blood-tonifying (BTHs, Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba) herbs used for CHHF. Candidate herbs were selected based on herbology classifications, PubMed searches, and the Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline for CHHF. A total of 61 active compounds and 323 corresponding protein targets with CHHF were retrieved from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP), standardized via UniProt, and intersected with CHHF-related genes from GeneCards. Protein–protein interaction networks were constructed, core targets identified, and functional enrichment analyses performed using Reactome databases. A total of 166 herb–CHHF common targets were identified, including 24 shared across all four herbs. HCHs were primarily enriched in hemostasis-, immune-, and signaling-related pathways, whereas BTHs were associated with immune regulation, metabolism, and neuronal modulation. Notably, Scutellariae Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba showed substantial overlap in enriched pathways. These findings suggest that HCHs and BTHs may be associated with distinct yet potentially relevant molecular mechanisms in CHHF. However, because the present analysis was conducted at the single-herb level, these findings cannot be directly generalized to the clinical use of multi-herb formulas and should be interpreted as hypothesis-generating.

Cold hypersensitivity in hands and feet (CHHF) affects 20–52% of East Asian populations, is more prevalent in women, and is managed with vasodilators in Western medicine or herbal therapies in traditional East Asian medicine. This study was conducted to compare the pharmacological characteristics of two heat-clearing (HCHs, Scutellariae Radix and Coptidis Rhizoma) and two blood-tonifying herbs (BTHs, Angelicae Sinensis Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba) used for CHHF. Candidate herbs were selected based on herbology classifications, PubMed searches, and the Korean Medicine Clinical Practice Guideline for CHHF. A total of 61 active compounds and 323 corresponding protein targets with CHHF were retrieved from the traditional Chinese medicine systems pharmacology database and analysis platform (TCMSP), standardized via UniProt, and intersected with CHHF-related genes from GeneCards. Protein–protein interaction networks were con-structed, core targets identified, and functional enrichment analyses performed using Gene Ontology and Reactome databases. A total of 166 herb–CHHF common targets were identified, including 24 shared across all four herbs. HCHs were primarily enriched in hemostasis-, immune-, and signaling-related pathways, whereas BTHs were associated with immune regulation, metabolism, and neuronal modulation. Notably, Scutellariae Radix and Paeoniae Radix Alba showed substantial overlap in enriched pathways. These findings suggest that HCHs and BTHs may act through distinct yet complementary mechanisms in CHHF, providing a mechanistic basis for combined traditional use.