Hydrogen Gas Delivered Through ECMO Reduces Blood Clotting in Lab Study
- Authors
- Lucia Gandini, Keibun Liu, Margaret R Passmore, Chris H H Chan, Emily S Wilson, Shinichi Ijuin, Angelo Milani, Kieran Hyslop, Nicole White, Binuri Perera, Nchafatso Obonyo, Mahe Bouquet, Gianluigi Li Bassi, John F Fraser, Jacky Y Suen
- Journal
- ASAIO Journal
- Year
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1097/MAT.0000000000002644
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- Australia
- Health Condition
- Cardiorespiratory Failure
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Hydrogen can be safely delivered through ECMO systems and may help reduce platelet activation and oxidative stress in circulating blood.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas delivered through ECMO sweep gas achieved stable therapeutic concentrations and significantly reduced platelet aggregation in human blood samples.
Summary
This laboratory study tested whether hydrogen gas could be safely delivered through an ECMO machine (a device that temporarily takes over heart and lung function for critically ill patients). Researchers added 2% hydrogen to the gas mixture in ECMO circuits and exposed blood samples from four healthy volunteers to it for 6 hours. The hydrogen was successfully delivered at stable levels, and it reduced platelet clumping (which relates to blood clotting) and showed some signs of reducing oxidative stress (cellular damage from unstable molecules).
Practical Takeaway
This is a very early-stage laboratory study using blood samples outside the body, not human patients or even animals. While it shows hydrogen can be safely delivered through ECMO machines and may reduce unwanted blood clotting, much more research in animal models and eventually clinical trials would be needed before any clinical use. The findings are too preliminary to draw conclusions about health benefits for patients.
Abstract
Hydrogen has emerged as a therapeutic agent in inflammatory critical illnesses due to its potential to modulate inflammation and oxidative stress. However, its role in extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO), a life-saving intervention for severe cardiorespiratory failure associated with pronounced inflammation and oxidative stress, remains largely unexplored. This ex vivo study investigated whether ECMO could serve as an effective vehicle for hydrogen delivery. It also evaluated hydrogen's effects on oxidative stress, inflammation, and coagulation responses arising from the interaction between human blood and non-biological ECMO surfaces. Four healthy male volunteers each provided two blood donations, 6 months apart. We assigned human blood-filled ECMO circuits to two different sweep gas formulations: a CO₂-enriched gas mixture (n = 4) or a mixture of 2% hydrogen in CO₂-enriched gas (n = 4). At T0, stable hydrogen concentrations (9.82 ± 1.97 μmol/L) were achieved and maintained for 6 hours, confirming the reliability of the hydrogen delivery method. Hydrogen exposure significantly reduced collagen (p = 0.01), TRAP-6 (p = 0.04), and ADP-induced (p = 0.04) platelet aggregation and showed a trend toward reduction in oxidative stress markers. In conclusion, this preliminary ex vivo study demonstrates the feasibility of delivering hydrogen gas via the sweep gas of a clinically established ECMO machine and its initial effects on blood, warranting further investigation in larger preclinical animal models.