Hydrogen-Enhanced Cancer Treatment Shows Promise in New Study
- Authors
- Pan Hu, Letao Lin, Guanyu Chen, Dengyao Liu, Huanqing Guo, Meigui Xiao, Zhihui Zhong, Guang Yang, Bingchen Xu, Dongcun Huang, Peng Sheng, Yong Li, Yanling Zhang, Tao Huang, Fujun Fang
- Journal
- Advanced Science
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1002/advs.202412263
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Solid Tumors
- Body System
- Oncological
TL;DR
A new type of implantable cancer treatment combines radioactive seeds with a hydrogen-releasing magnesium alloy, improving the effectiveness of radiation therapy against tumors without noticeable side effects.
Key Finding
In animal tumor models, hydrogen gas released from a magnesium alloy device enhanced the cancer-killing effects of radioactive iodine-125 seed implants compared to radiation therapy alone, with no observed side effects.
Summary
Researchers developed a special magnesium alloy device that can be implanted near tumors during cancer treatment. The device slowly releases hydrogen gas while delivering radioactive iodine-125, which is a type of radiation therapy. In laboratory and animal studies, the hydrogen gas made the radiation therapy more effective at killing tumor cells and caused less damage to healthy tissue compared to radiation alone.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage research conducted in laboratory cells and animals, not humans. While the results are promising for a potential future cancer treatment approach, it represents a specialized medical device that would require extensive human testing before any clinical use. The findings suggest hydrogen gas may have a role in improving certain types of radiation therapy, but this remains experimental.
Abstract
Radioactive iodine-125 (125I) seed implantation, a brachytherapy technique, effectively kills tumor cells via X-rays and gamma rays, serving as an alternative therapeutic option following the failure of frontline treatments for various solid tumors. However, tumor radioresistance limits its efficacy. Hydrogen gas has anticancer properties and can enhance the efficacy of immunotherapy. However, its role in radiotherapy sensitization has rarely been reported. Many current hydrogen delivery methods involve hydrogen-generating nanomaterials, such as magnesium-based nanomaterials. This study introduces an AZ31 magnesium alloy 125I seed strand (termed AMASS) with pH-dependent slow-release hydrogen characteristics and excellent mechanical properties. AMASS can be implanted into tumors via minimally invasive surgery, releasing hydrogen around the 125I seeds. In vitro experiments showed that hydrogen from AMASS degradation significantly inhibited tumor proliferation, increased apoptosis, disrupted redox homeostasis and mitochondrial membrane potential, reduced adenosine triphosphate levels, and induced DNA damage due to 125I radiation. In mouse xenograft and rabbit liver tumor models, hydrogen from AMASS showed superior therapeutic effects compared with 125I seeds alone, with no noticeable side effects. In addition, AMASS has a uniform radiation dose distribution and simple implantation. Therefore, hydrogen from AMASS enhanced 125I seed efficacy, supporting the further promotion and application of 125I seed implantation in cancer therapy.