TCM in Innate Immunity: A YinYang-N-Element Hypothesis of the Innate Immunological System

The YinYang Wuxing theory of TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) has long been considered to relate to innate immunity. Recently, two of the authors, Zhang and Chen, have developed a mathematical model for the dynamics of the YinYang Wuxing theory of TCM. Although the Wuxing elements are the vital main organs of the human anatomy, the mathematical model can be extended to a much larger number of elements, and in so doing, can describe multi-element systems like the innate immunity system, and Toll-like receptors in particular. The theory is based on energy equilibriums in bipolar logic, we therefore advance the hypothesis that reaching energy equilibriums is an important concept in the design and operation of the innate immune system. Accordingly, we formulate the hypothesis that the innate immune system can reach a state of equilibrium in its energy states, and that this state of equilibrium will successfully defend the host body against pathogens. To support our hypothesis, we present computational results that explain the number of Toll-like receptors typically found in the innate immune system of a host body, using a network structure according to the theory.