Hydrogen Therapy Boosts Cancer Treatment by Improving Immune Response
- Authors
- Jing Huang, Jianping Meng, Yijie Fan, Engui Wang, Xiangxiang Wang, Huirun Fan, Dan Luo, Lingling Xu, Zhou Li
- Journal
- Materials Horizons
- Year
- 2025
- DOI
- 10.1039/d5mh00585j
- Study Type
- Mouse
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Hydrogen released from magnesium hydride boosts cancer cell death and immune response, making tumors more sensitive to checkpoint inhibitor therapy.
Key Finding
In mouse tumors, combining hydrogen gas therapy with sonodynamic therapy and immune checkpoint inhibitors significantly improved treatment effectiveness and extended survival compared to sound wave therapy alone.
Summary
Researchers tested a new cancer treatment approach in mice that combines hydrogen gas therapy with sound wave therapy (sonodynamic therapy). The hydrogen was released from magnesium hydride particles, which also produced alkaline compounds that reduced acidity in the tumor environment. This combination helped the immune system recognize and attack cancer cells more effectively, and made tumors more responsive to a type of immunotherapy called checkpoint inhibitors.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage research conducted only in mice, so it cannot yet be applied to human health. While the results suggest hydrogen gas may support certain cancer therapies by modifying the tumor environment, much more research—including human trials—would be needed before any clinical recommendations could be made.
Abstract
The tumor microenvironment (TME) is typically immunosuppressive, playing a crucial role in tumor progression, immune evasion, and therapeutic resistance, all of which significantly impede the efficacy of cancer therapies1. Herein, we propose that magnesium hydride (MgH2)-induced hydrogen (H2) therapy can synergistically enhance barium titanate (BTO)-mediated sonodynamic therapy (SDT) while modulating the TME to improve the efficacy of immune checkpoint inhibitors (aPD-1). Specifically, ultrasound (US) activated BTO to trigger SDT and induce immunogenic cell death (ICD), while the sustained release of H2 from MgH2 microspheres amplifies tumor cell destruction, thereby promoting immune cell recruitment to the tumor site. Meanwhile, the hydroxide ions (OH-) and magnesium ions (Mg2+) generated by MgH2 alleviate the acidic TME, reversing immune suppression and enhancing T-cell-mediated antitumor responses. In the CT26 tumor model, the synergistic combination of SDT and MgH2 therapy significantly enhances the anti-tumor efficacy of SDT compared to that of BTO alone, leading to prolonged survival of treated mice. Moreover, MgH2 upregulates PD-1 expression in T cells, markedly improving the sensitivity of tumors to aPD-1 therapy. This strategy provides a generalizable approach for enhancing SDT, demonstrating its broad potential in anti-tumor treatment and presenting a promising avenue for overcoming resistance to immune checkpoint inhibitors.