Hydrogen Therapy Fights Cancer by Boosting Immune System
- Authors
- Hongyu Chu, Qiong Wu, Zhonghang Xu, Jingrui Cao, Hanyue Zheng, Jiandong Wu, Qihui Liu, Xiaowen Ruan, Xuedong Fang, Xiaoqiang Cui, Sai Kishore Ravi, Fangfang Chen
- Journal
- Acta Biomaterialia
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.actbio.2025.10.059
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Hydrogen released from RhPd-H nanosheets under NIR light selectively induces tumor cell death while protecting and activating immune cells—offering precise redox control for cancer immunotherapy.
Key Finding
Hydrogen released from a specially designed nanosheet platform simultaneously triggered cancer cell death through oxidative stress while protecting and activating immune cells against the same type of damage, suggesting a selective targeting mechanism.
Summary
Researchers developed a nanosheet platform containing hydrogen that releases hydrogen gas when exposed to near-infrared light. In cell culture experiments, this system had a dual effect: it generated harmful molecules (reactive oxygen species) that killed cancer cells, while simultaneously protecting immune cells from damage and activating them to fight tumors. The approach combined heat therapy with hydrogen's chemical properties to both directly kill cancer cells and reprogram the immune environment around tumors.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage cell culture research using a specialized nanosheet delivery system activated by near-infrared light—not hydrogen water or gas inhalation. The findings are preliminary and have not been tested in animals or humans. While the dual-action mechanism is scientifically interesting, it's unclear whether similar effects would occur with other forms of hydrogen delivery or in living organisms.
Abstract (excerpt)
Photothermal-catalysis enables controlled hydrogen release and redox modulation, with applications in biomedical therapy. Despite growing interest in hydrogen therapy, its effects on immune cells within the tumor microenvironment (TME) remain insufficiently elucidated, specifically regarding…