Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Protecting Transplant Organs
- Authors
- Fuxun Yang, Yu Lei, Rongan Liu, Xiaoxiu Luo, Jiajia Li, Fan Zeng, Sen Lu, Xiaobo Huang, Yunping Lan
- Journal
- Oxidative Medicine and Cellular Longevity
- Year
- 2021
- DOI
- 10.1155/2021/6659310
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Organ Transplant Recipients
- Body System
- Cardiovascular
TL;DR
Hydrogen gas might be able to protect donated organs from damage that happens when they're moved from one person to another, which could help more transplants succeed and save more lives.
Key Finding
Hydrogen shows promise as a protective agent against ischemia reperfusion injury in organ transplantation through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cell-protective mechanisms.
Summary
This review article examines how hydrogen gas might protect organs during transplantation. When organs are removed from a donor and transplanted into a recipient, they experience a period without adequate blood flow that can cause damage (called ischemia reperfusion injury). The review summarizes evidence that hydrogen may reduce this damage through three mechanisms: reducing harmful molecules called free radicals (antioxidant effect), decreasing inflammation, and preventing cell death.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review article summarizing existing research rather than a new study, and no human trials have been conducted yet. While the evidence reviewed suggests hydrogen warrants further investigation for transplant applications, it remains experimental and is not currently an established clinical treatment. Anyone involved in transplantation should await results from properly designed clinical trials before considering hydrogen therapy.
Abstract
Ischemia reperfusion injury (IRI) in organ transplantation has always been an important hotspot in organ protection. Hydrogen, as an antioxidant, has been shown to have anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and antiapoptotic effects. In this paper, the protective effect of hydrogen against IRI in organ transplantation has been reviewed to provide clues for future clinical studies.