Magnesium Implants Generate Hydrogen to Fight Cancer in Animal Study
- Authors
- Nailin Yang, Fei Gong, Bo Liu, Yu Hao, Yu Chao, Huali Lei, Xiaoyuan Yang, Yuehan Gong, Xianwen Wang, Zhuang Liu, Liang Cheng
- Journal
- Nature Communications
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1038/s41467-022-29938-6
- Study Type
- Rabbit
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Oncology
TL;DR
Scientists have created a special metal rod that can produce hydrogen gas directly inside tumors to fight cancer.
Key Finding
Magnesium-based implants that generate hydrogen gas directly inside tumors inhibited cancer growth in multiple preclinical models by damaging cancer cell structures and neutralizing the acidic tumor environment.
Summary
Researchers developed small metal rods made of magnesium coated with platinum that produce hydrogen gas continuously when implanted in tumors. The hydrogen damages cancer cells' energy-producing structures (mitochondria), while a byproduct of the process neutralizes the acidic environment around tumors. The approach was tested in mice, rabbit tumors, and human tumor samples implanted in mice, and showed promise in slowing tumor growth.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage preclinical research in animals and laboratory models—not human studies. While the results are promising, this approach involves surgical implantation of metal devices and is far from clinical use. There is no evidence this relates to hydrogen water or other hydrogen products available to consumers.
Abstract
Hydrogen can be used as an anti-cancer treatment. However, the continuous generation of H2 molecules within the tumor is challenging. Magnesium (Mg) and its alloys have been extensively used in the clinic as implantable metals. Here we develop, by decorating platinum on the surface of Mg rods, a Mg-based galvanic cell (MgG), which allows the continuous generation of H2 in an aqueous environment due to galvanic-cell-accelerated water etching of Mg. By implanting MgG rods into a tumor, H2 molecules can be generated within the tumor, which induces mitochondrial dysfunction and intracellular redox homeostasis destruction. Meanwhile, the Mg(OH)2 residue can neutralize the acidic tumor microenvironment (TME). Such MgG rods with the micro-galvanic cell structure enable hydrogen therapy to inhibit the growth of tumors, including murine tumor models, patient-derived xenografts (PDX), as well as VX2 tumors in rabbits. Our research suggests that the galvanic cells for hydrogen therapy based on implantable metals may be a safe and effective cancer treatment.