Hydrogen Bubbles Boost Cancer-Fighting Platinum Therapy
- Authors
- Shinya Kato, Yasukazu Saitoh, Nobuhiko Miwa
- Journal
- Human Cell
- Year
- 2020
- DOI
- 10.1007/s13577-020-00402-1
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Japan
- Health Condition
- Esophageal Cancer
- Body System
- Digestive System
TL;DR
A combination of tiny hydrogen bubbles and a platinum-based compound was found to be more effective at stopping cancer cell growth than either treatment alone, with less harm to normal cells.
Key Finding
Hydrogen nano-bubbles combined with platinum particles suppressed cancer cell growth more effectively than either treatment alone, while cancer cells accumulated more platinum than normal cells.
Summary
Researchers tested a combination of hydrogen nano-bubbles (extremely tiny hydrogen gas particles) mixed with platinum-containing particles on cancer cells from the esophagus and tongue, as well as on normal cells from the tongue. The hydrogen-platinum combination was more effective at slowing cancer cell growth than either component alone, and cancer cells absorbed more platinum than normal cells did. This suggests the combination might be selective in targeting cancer while sparing healthy tissue.
Practical Takeaway
This is early laboratory research using isolated cancer cells in a dish—not human studies or even animal testing. While the selective uptake by cancer cells is scientifically interesting, it's far too preliminary to draw any conclusions about whether this approach would work, be safe, or be practical in actual cancer treatment. Many promising cell-culture results do not translate to human benefit.
Abstract
Carcinostatic effects of combined use of hydrogen nano-bubbles (nano-H) and platinum–povidone (PVP-–Pt) were examined. Hydrogen-dissolved medium was prepared by hydrogen-gas bubbling with a microporous gas-emittance-terminal into a medium in the absence or presence of PVP–Pt (nano-H, nano-H/PVP–Pt). Human esophagus-derived carcinoma cells KYSE70 were repressed for cell proliferation with nano-H/PVP–Pt more markedly than with nano-H, indicating the hydrogen-intensification for PVP–Pt-alone-carcinostasis. However, the intensified carcinostasis required co-administration of nano-H and PVP–Pt, and no intensified carcinostasis was shown in two-step separate administration of nano-H and PVP–Pt. Furthermore, hydrogen bubbling into PVP–Pt-containing medium achieved more appreciable carcinostasis than mere addition of PVP–Pt into nano-H-containing medium, indicating the potent interaction of hydrogen and PVP–Pt. The nano-H/PVP–Pt-administered human tongue-derived carcinoma cells HSC-4 were repressed for cell proliferation more markedly than pre-malignant human tongue-derived epitheliocytes DOK, concurrently with more abundant intracellular Pt-intake into HSC-4 cells than DOK as analyzed by ICP-MS. Thus, PVP–Pt is able to adsorb hydrogen nano-bubbles on Pt and applicable for cancer therapy by diminishing the side-effects to normal cells.