Technical Challenges in Current Primo Vascular System Research and Potential Solutions

Kyung Aih Kang,Claudio Maldonado,Vitaly Vodyanoy 사단법인약침학회 2016 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.9 No.6

Since Bonghan Kim's discovery of the Bonghan system (BHS) in the 1960s, numerous reports have suggested that the system is fundamental for maintaining mammalian life. The BHS is a circulatory system independent of the blood or the lymphatic system, forms an extensive network throughout the entire mammalian body, has been reported to be the acupuncture meridian, stores distinct types of stem cells, and appears to have some roles in cancer metastasis. Despite Kim's first report having been published as early as 1962, research progress has been rather slow mainly because the system is very small and translucent, making it optically difficult to distinguish it from the hemoglobin-rich surrounding tissues. Unfortunately, Kim did not describe in detail the methods that he used for identifying and harvesting the system and the components of the system. In 2000, Kwang-Sup Soh reopened the BHS research, and since then, new and important scientific findings on the system have been reported, and many of Kim's results have been verified. In 2010, the BHS was renamed the primo vascular system. Nevertheless, good tools to properly deal with this system are still lacking. In this article, we address some of the technical difficulties involved in studying the primo vascular system and attempt to discuss potential ways to overcome those difficulties.

Erratum to “English Translation of Bonghan Kim's 5 th Report, <<Bonghan Sanal – Cell Cycle>> of Blood Cells” [J Acupuncture and Meridian Stud 9 (2016) 335 – 342]

Kyung Aih Kang 사단법인약침학회 2018 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.11 No.6

On this TranslationDuring 1962e1965, Dr. Bonghan Kim and his research team in North Korea published five reports on the Bonghan System. Recently, English versions of the first four reports were located at various parts of the world but the fifth report in English has still not been found. This article is English translation of Kim’s fifth report (officially, KyungRak Research Institute’s report), which deals with blood cell regeneration in the Bonghan System. It is the author’s wish that the original English version of this report is located soon so that we can study high quality images that Dr. Kim took more than 50 years ago. Kim’s study results were far ahead of his time and even current time. Parts of Kim’s results in the first four reports were studied/examined by other scientists after 2000 and they were proven to be valid, while many parts still remain to be studied. The contents of the fifth report are even unusual and almost unbelievable, particularly for the scientists who are not familiar with the Bonghan System (or primo vascular system; PVS). The intent of translating this report is not necessarily to imply that this translator takes Kim’s results as scientific facts. In this translator’s opinion, the contents of this report are thought to be worthwhile for further investigation because the data presented in the report were with details that were not thought to be fabricated. In addition, recent publications on the system have already validated parts of Kim’s findings. If Kim’s findings presented in the report are found to be valid in the near future, as other findings in his previous reports, the report may be scientifically important because it contains completely new scientific aspects on blood cell regeneration, i.e., regeneration via the ‘Bonghan sanal-cell cycle.’ In that case, Kim’s findings can be highly beneficial for the future healthcare. The copy of Kim’s fifth report provided to this translator was a photo copy in black-and-white, perhaps after several rounds of re-copying, and the origin of this copy was not revealed. Thus, most figures are in low resolution/quality, which is different from those in the English versions of his previous reports. The figures were, however, included in this translation because the report content can still be better understood with them, despite their low quality. The copy also lost its cover and starts from a part of ‘table of content’ in Russian and Chinese. The translation of Dr. Kim’s report from Korean to English was not easy to this translator because the Korean words in it were slightly different from those currently used. In addition, many of non-Korean, bio- or medical-terms were written in Korean by following their sounds, which make it difficult to identify the actual terms. Attempts were made to describe the content as accurate as possible. To honor Kim’s efforts, it was also attempted to keep the original expressions and format (e.g., indentation, paragraph) as much as possible, although some of Kim’s expressions were difficult to translate as Kim stated. Kim’s numbering of headings was not always consistent throughout the report. He also numbered the subheadings and the phrase of ‘Bonghan sanalecell cycle,’ using unique brackets ‘<<. . . >>’ and they were kept the same throughout the entire text. Kim did not used captions in his figures or tables. Most figures were placed at the end of the text, but in the translation, they were inserted in the text to follow the joural format. For his figure sub-numbers, Kim used Korean alphabets but they were converted to English alphabets to accommodate the print-set of the journal. The report did not have a reference section. Readers who are not familiar with the Bonghan System are suggested to review English versions of Kim’s first four reports listed below, which are available via www.ispvs.org. Kim BH (1962) Great discovery in Biology and medicine e Substance ...

Historical Observations on the Half-Century Freeze in Research between the Bonghan System and the Primo Vascular System

Kyung Aih Kang 사단법인약침학회 2013 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.6 No.6

This article provides potential reasons for the past 45-year halt in research between the time of the Bonghan system of Bong Han Kim (B.H. Kim) and that of the primo vascular system (PVS) of Kwang-Sup Soh (K-S. Soh), briefly but more accurately in its history. Over the years, numerous questions related to the Bonghan system and the PVS have arisen, especially from researchers interested in pursuing PVS research: When and how did B.H. Kim's study results on the Bonghan system become known to public? Why did B.H. Kim and his publications disappear after 1966? Why was little study performed on the system for almost 50 years after Kim? Why and how was the research on the system reinitiated in 2002 by Kwang-Sup Soh? Why did the Bonghan system become the PVS? These questions, as well as technical difficulties in identifying the system, have discouraged many researchers from becoming involved in research on the system. The motivation for preparing this article was to remove doubts about the existence of this important organ, which might have been caused by its unusual and unclear historical background, by providing an accurate history.

BOOK REVIEW-English Translation of Bonghan Kim's Fifth Report: Bonghan Sanal–Cell Cycle of Blood Cells

Kyung Aih Kang 사단법인약침학회 2016 Journal of Acupuncture & Meridian Studies Vol.9 No.6

During 1962–1965, Dr. Bonghan Kim and his research team in North Korea published five reports on the Bonghan System, which was considered to be sensational because it was claimed to be the third vascular system in the body and, most importantly, the essence of the acupuncture meridian. Recently, English versions of the first four reports were located in various parts of the world but the English version of the fifth report had still not been found. This article is the English translation of Kim's Fifth Report, which deals with the blood cell regeneration in the Bonghan System.