Potential Therapeutic Applications of Hydrogen in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases

Scientists found that a special type of hydrogen gas might help treat long-lasting inflammation in the body by stopping dangerous molecules inside our cells from triggering an overblown immune response. This discovery could lead to new treatments for diseases like COVID-19 and other conditions caused by too much inflammation.

Molecular hydrogen may selectively eliminate harmful hydroxyl radicals produced in mitochondria and potentially inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation, a key driver of excessive inflammation in chronic diseases.

This review article examines how molecular hydrogen (H2) might help treat chronic inflammatory diseases. The authors explain that mitochondria (the energy-producing parts of cells) create harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species, and hydrogen may selectively neutralize the most damaging type. The review proposes that hydrogen could reduce inflammation by blocking a cellular pathway (NLRP3 inflammasome) that triggers inflammatory responses, though they note this mechanism needs further study.

This is a theoretical review article, not a clinical study with human participants, so it presents proposed mechanisms rather than proven effects. While the proposed mechanism is scientifically plausible, actual clinical benefits in humans remain unestablished and would require rigorous clinical trials to confirm.

Mitochondria are the largest source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and are intracellular organelles that produce large amounts of the most potent hydroxyl radical (·OH). Molecular hydrogen (H2) can selectively eliminate ·OH generated inside of the mitochondria. Inflammation is induced…

Read the full abstract on PubMed