The incidence of cancer is rising annually. With advances in diagnosis and treatment, cancer patients’ long-term survival rates have improved, leading them to gradually enter a chronic disease state. However, they frequently experience physiological and psychological symptoms during treatment, which severely impact their survival and quality of life. Auricular acupoint therapy, a green non-pharmacological intervention characterized by ease of operation and low cost, can alleviate cancer-related symptoms. Despite its widespread use, systematic summarization and comprehensive evaluation of this therapy remain insufficient. To systematically analyze the application of auricular therapy in cancer patients, identify its characteristics and intervention effects on symptoms, and provide a reference for symptom management in these patients. Relevant studies were systematically retrieved from PubMed, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, Embase, CINAHL, CNKI, CBM, WanFang Database, and VIP Database from their inception to April 20, 2025. Data from the included literature were extracted and analyzed. A total of 42 studies were included. Auricular therapy is applicable across multiple stages of cancer care and exerts positive effects on cancer-related pain, fatigue, sleep disorders, anxiety, and chemotherapy-induced symptoms. Notably, the pain-fatigue-sleep disorder cluster is the most common and interrelated symptom group, with auricular acupressure as the most frequently used intervention. Owing to its simplicity and cost-effectiveness, auricular therapy offers unique advantages for managing symptoms in cancer patients. The current focus in this field has shifted from managing single symptoms or individual dimensions within symptom clusters to a comprehensive management of symptom clusters. Future research should pay attention to the dynamic progression of symptoms, focus on the core symptom clusters in cancer patients, and optimize intervention strategies to enhance the efficiency of symptom management.

Kidney-yang deficiency syndrome (KYDS), a fundamental concept in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), manifests clinically as chronic diarrhea, cold intolerance, and fatigue with high prevalence among aging populations. Modern biomedical research has established that KYDS correlates with hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis dysregulation and intestinal barrier compromise (Zhang et al.,2019). Crucially, emerging evidence implicates gut dysbiosis as a pathological mediator, where depleted short-chain fatty acid (SCFA) production-particularly propionate-impairs colonic mucosal integrity and immune homeostasis (Smith et al.,2021). Sishen Pill (SSP), a classical TCM formula documented in Sheng Ji Zong Lu (1100 AD), contains bioactive compounds like psoralen and evodiamine that demonstrate anti-inflammatory and microbiota-modulating properties (Ge et al.,2020). The innovative integration of sodium propionate (SP) with SSP represents a paradigm-shifting strategy targeting both microbial ecology and mucosal healing. This synergy is theoretically anchored in TCM's "kidney governing water metabolism" principle and Western medicine's gut-kidney axis concept, offering unprecedented potential for refractory diarrhea management.In a recent study entitled "Synergistic Treatment of Sodium Propionate and Sishen Pill for Diarrhea Mice with Kidney-Yang Deficiency Syndrome" was published in Frontiers in Cellular and lnfection Microbiology".Synergistic Treatment of Sodium Propionate and Sishen Pill for Diarrhea Mice with Kidney-Yang Deficiency Syndrome" (Guo et al., 2025) pioneers an integrative therapeutic strategy combining sodium propionate-a gut microbiota-modulating short-chain fatty acid-with Sishen Pill, a classic TCM formula, to address diarrhea in murine models of kidney-yang deficiency syndrome. The authors investigated the synergistic potential of metabolic regulation and TCM principles in restoring intestinal homeostasis. Key strengths include an innovative combination therapy design, comprehensive validation of TCM syndromes in animal models, and multi-faceted biomarker analysis spanning intestinal enzymes, immune organ indices, and microbial composition. Their systematic evaluation demonstrated robust synergistic efficacy in alleviating diarrhea and restoring microbiota balance. Critically, the 75% Sishen Pill + 60 mg/kg sodium propionate group exhibited normalization of fecal water content, bacterial overgrowth, and immune dysfunction, underscoring the importance of mechanistic synergy and precise dose optimization for therapeutic outcomes. This work offers novel insights into microbiota-TCM interactions and paves the way for optimized integrative interventions.First, several limitations should be acknowledged. While the study identifies shifts in Bifidobacterium and Escherichia coli populations, the causal link between these changes and diarrhea resolution remains unclear. Functional assays, such as metabolomics profiling of short-chain fatty acids, could strengthen mechanistic interpretations (He et al.,2022). Additionally, the empirical determination of the optimal Sishen Pill-to-sodium propionate ratio lacks exploration of pharmacokinetic interactions or receptor-mediated signaling pathways, leaving the basis for this specific combination unexplained. The study's exclusive focus on murine models also restricts immediate translational relevance, necessitating clinical validation to confirm safety and efficacy in humans.Second,several mechanistic ambiguities warrant critical examination. While the reported microbial alterations offer correlative insights, the absence of functional validation leaves unresolved whether these taxonomic changes directly mediate therapeutic effects or merely represent secondary phenomena. Metabolomic profiling of luminal SCFA dynamicsparticularly quantification of propionate flux and butyrate reciprocationwould substantially strengthen causal attribution, especially given butyrate's established role as the primary colonocyte energy source (Anderson et al.,2022).Furthermore, the empirically determined optimal ratio lacks pharmacokinetic substantiation regarding potential herb-metabolite interactions. Unanswered questions persist concerning whether bioactive SSP constituents such as psoralen competitively inhibit monocarboxylate transporter (MCT1)-mediated propionate absorption, or conversely potentiate GPR43 receptor signaling in enteroendocrine cells. The exclusive reliance on antibiotic-induced murine models also constrains clinical extrapolation, as human KYDS involves distinctive neuroendocrine signatures including cortisol rhythm disruption and adrenocortical insufficiency that remain inadequately recapitulated in rodents.The groundbreaking work by Guo et al. inaugurates a transformative approach to KYDS management by synergizing ancient herbal wisdom with microbial metabolome modulation. Their demonstration that SP potentiates SSP's efficacy aligns with contemporary understanding of the gut-kidney axis, where SCFAs directly influence renal water handling through olfactory receptor 78 (Olfr78) activation in juxtaglomerular apparatus. Nevertheless, three fundamental questions demand resolution to advance this therapeutic strategy. First, the causal relationship between specific microbial shifts and clinical improvement requires validation through fecal microbiota transplantation studies in germ-free models (He et al.,2019). Second, the pharmacokinetic interplay between SSP polyphenols and SP absorption necessitates investigation via Caco-2 transwell assays and hepatic microsomal stability testing (Zhang et al.,2015). Third, the neuroendocrine dimension of KYDS-particularly HPA axis modulation-remains unexplored; future research should assess corticosterone rhythms and adrenal glucocorticoid output in treated models. 1) SP serving as a histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitor, enhances SSP-induced Nrf2 activation. Existing evidence suggests that HDAC...

To delineate the developmental trajectory of Neurosurgical Nursing research from 2006-2025, identify emerging frontiers, and map country-level collaboration patterns to inform future practice and research priorities. A bibliometric analysis was performed using records retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection, Scopus, and PubMed (search window: January 2006-January 2026). To ensure a complete annual observation period, publications from 2006-2025 were included for analysis. After data cleaning and deduplication, 2,774 records were retained. VOSviewer, CiteSpace, and R software were used to examine publication trends, journal distribution, collaboration networks, co-citation structures, and keyword co-occurrence and temporal evolution. Annual publication output increased steadily, with accelerated growth after 2018, suggesting field maturation. The United States and China contributed the largest volumes, while Canada, Australia, and several European countries showed strong collaborative connectivity. Co-citation and keyword analyses indicated a thematic shift from disease- and perioperative-centered studies toward integrated care models emphasizing neurocritical care, patient safety, enhanced recovery pathways, telemedicine-enabled care, and survivorship. Emerging themes included COVID-19-related adaptation, risk assessment, multidisciplinary coordination, and technology-supported nursing practices. International collaboration networks became increasingly interconnected, particularly across North America, Europe, and Asia. Over the past two decades, Neurosurgical Nursing research has progressed toward implementation-oriented, systems-based, and patient-centered scholarship. This mapping clarifies the field's intellectual structure, thematic evolution, and collaborative landscape, supporting evidence-informed prioritization of future research and quality improvement efforts.