A second, broader strategy could be to examine the traditional Chinese medicine formula discussed here, indeed, any other traditional formulas in their entirety, for anti-inflammatory activity in vitro. Cultured mouse macrophages could be stimulated with either commercially available recombinant influenza virus H5N1 haemagglutinin (HA) or LPS to induce production of pro-inflammatory cytokines, in the presence or absence of the formula, prepared as traditionally described (simmered in boiling water for 45-60 min). Cytokine assays to profile pro-and anti-inflammatory cytokines secreted over time into the culture supernatant could then be conducted, using a system such as multiplexing to examine many different cytokines in each sample (such as anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-4 and IL-10, and pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-1, IL-2, IL-6, IL-8, IL-17, IFN-g, TNF and HMGB1). Given results which point towards levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines being reduced by treatment of the cells with the formula, the next step would be to conduct studies in mice infected with influenza virus (such as mouse-adapted PR8) and administered the formula orally, daily, adjusted according to body weight. Parameters measured in the in vivo experiments could initially include analysis of serum and lung cytokine levels, body weight and temperature, and even survival, providing researchers could interact with their institutional ethics committee to arrive at a mutually appropriate end-point for euthanasia for experiments of this nature.