New Nanoparticles Use Light and Hydrogen to Fight Cancer at Any Depth
- Authors
- Lei Bai, Wenhui Yi, Yanru Wang, Yilong Tian, Baona Zhou, Tao Yi, Ping Zhang, Xin Cheng, Jinhai Si, Xun Hou, Jin Hou
- Journal
- Journal of Materials Chemistry B
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1039/d1tb01284c
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Oncological
TL;DR
Researchers have created a new type of tiny, multi-functional particle that can both generate heat to kill cancer cells and produce hydrogen for energy, showing promise as a new cancer treatment.
Key Finding
A palladium-molybdenum nanoparticle that produces hydrogen gas and converts light into heat showed the ability to shrink tumors in mice when activated by near-infrared light, with photothermal conversion efficiencies ranging from 43.1% to 69.15% depending on the light wavelength used.
Summary
Researchers created a new nanoparticle made of palladium and molybdenum that can be heated by near-infrared light (a type of light invisible to the human eye) and also produces hydrogen gas. In mouse studies, this nanoparticle was combined with ammonia borane (a hydrogen-releasing compound) and tested as a cancer treatment. The combination used both heat and hydrogen gas to target tumors at different depths in tissue, and the researchers reported that it effectively killed cancer cells while appearing safe to surrounding tissue.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage laboratory research in mice only—not yet tested in humans. While the results are promising for a potential future cancer therapy combining heat and hydrogen gas delivery, it is far too preliminary to draw any conclusions about hydrogen water or hydrogen gas as a health intervention. Much more research, including human clinical trials, would be needed before any therapeutic claims could be made.
Abstract
A composite nanosheets (PdMo@AB@HA) based on PdMo bimetallene realizes for the first time the synergistic PTT/hydrogen therapy in NIR windows (808 nm, 980 nm, 1064 nm) on tumor of different depth.