New Nanodevice Delivers Hydrogen to Fight Cancer and Boost Immunity
- Authors
- Jingrui Li, Gang Wang, Zhaoyu Wen, Shumin Sun, Zhihui Han, Yuqi Yang, Jie Wu, Zifan Pei, Luyao Liu, Youdong Chen, Liang Cheng
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1002/adma.202412925
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists have developed a new method using manganese-doped nanoelectrodes to improve the delivery and effectiveness of hydrogen therapy for treating tumors by activating the body's immune response.
Key Finding
Manganese-doped nickel sulfide nanoelectrodes successfully generated and delivered hydrogen gas in a controlled, voltage-dependent manner, inducing tumor cell death through pyroptosis while simultaneously enhancing anti-tumor immune responses in cell culture experiments.
Summary
Researchers designed special nanoelectrodes (tiny electrodes made from manganese and nickel compounds) that can generate hydrogen gas through electrolysis (splitting water using electrical current) and deliver it directly to tumor cells in laboratory cultures. The hydrogen triggered tumor cells to die through a process called pyroptosis (a type of cell death) and also boosted immune cells called CD8+ T lymphocytes to attack the tumors more effectively.
Practical Takeaway
This is early-stage laboratory research in cell cultures only—not yet tested in animals or humans. While the results suggest a novel approach to combining hydrogen delivery with immune activation for cancer therapy, significant development would be needed before any clinical application. The voltage-dependent delivery system is a theoretical advantage over passive hydrogen water consumption, but real-world effectiveness and safety remain unknown.
Abstract
Hydrogen (H2) therapy has demonstrated antitumor effect, but the therapeutic efficacy is restricted by the low solubility and nontarget delivery of H2. Electrolysis of H2O by electrocatalysts sustainably releases enormous amounts of H2 and inspires the precise delivery of H2 for tumor therapy. Herein, manganese-doped Ni2S3 nanoelectrodes (MnNi2S3 NEs) are designed for the electrocatalytic delivery of H2 and the activation of antitumor immunity to effectively potentiate H2-immunotherapy. Ni atoms featuring empty 3d orbitals reduce the initial energy barrier of the hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) by promoting the adsorption of H2O. Moreover, Mn atoms with different electronegativity modulate the electronic structure of Ni atoms and facilitate the desorption of the generated H2, thus enhancing the HER activity of the MnNi2S3 NEs. Based on the high HER activity, controllable delivery of H2 for electrocatalytic hydrogen therapy (EHT) is achieved in a voltage-dependent manner. Mechanistically, MnNi2S3 NE-mediated EHT induces mitochondrial dysfunction and oxidative stress, which subsequently activates pyroptosis through the typical ROS/caspase-1/GSDMD signaling pathway. Furthermore, MnNi2S3 NE-mediated EHT enhances the infiltration of CD8+ T lymphocytes into tumors and reverses the immunosuppressive microenvironment. This work demonstrates an electrocatalyst with high HER activity for synergistic gas-immunotherapy, which may spark electrocatalyst-based tumor therapy strategies.