Hydrogen Gas Shows Promise for Cancer Prevention and Treatment
- Authors
- Wenchang Zhou, Jie Zhang, Wankun Chen, Changhong Miao
- Journal
- Journal of Cancer Research and Clinical Oncology
- Year
- 2024
- DOI
- 10.1007/s00432-024-05685-7
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists found that hydrogen gas might help fight cancer by cleaning up harmful molecules in the body and boosting your immune system's ability to attack cancer cells, plus your gut bacteria naturally make hydrogen every day which could help protect you from getting cancer in the first place.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas may selectively neutralize harmful reactive oxygen species in cancer cells and enhance immune function, potentially offering a complementary approach to conventional cancer therapies.
Summary
This review examines how hydrogen gas (H2) might help prevent and treat cancer. Hydrogen is naturally produced by bacteria in your gut and works by reducing harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that can damage cells and promote cancer growth. The review suggests hydrogen may also boost immune cells that fight tumors and reduce damage from cancer treatments like chemotherapy and radiation.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review article summarizing existing research rather than a new study with human participants, so it cannot establish whether hydrogen therapy actually works in cancer patients. While the mechanisms described are scientifically plausible, clinical evidence in humans is still limited. Anyone considering hydrogen as part of cancer treatment should discuss it with their oncologist, as this review does not provide sufficient evidence to support it as a standalone or primary therapy.
Abstract
Gas signaling molecules, including carbon monoxide (CO), nitric oxide (NO), and hydrogen sulfide (H2S), have been shown to have cancer therapeutic potential, pointing to a new direction for cancer treatment. In recent years, a series of studies have confirmed that hydrogen (H2), a weakly reductive gas, also has therapeutic effects on various cancers and can mitigate oxidative stress caused by radiation and chemotherapy, reducing tissue damage and immunosuppression to improve prognosis. Meanwhile, H2 also has immunomodulatory effects, inhibiting T cell exhaustion and enhancing T cell anti-tumor function. It is worth noting that human intestinal flora can produce large amounts of H2 daily, which becomes a natural barrier to maintaining the body's resistance to diseases such as tumors. Although the potential anti-tumor mechanisms of H2 are still to be investigated, previous studies have shown that H2 can selectively scavenge highly toxic reactive oxygen species (ROS) and inhibit various ROS-dependent signaling pathways in cancer cells, thus inhibiting cancer cell proliferation and metastasis. The ROS scavenging ability of H2 may also be the underlying mechanism of its immunomodulatory function. In this paper, we review the significance of H2 produced by intestinal flora on the immune homeostasis of the body, the role of H2 in cancer therapy and the underlying mechanisms, and the specific application of H2 to provide new ideas for the comprehensive treatment of cancer patients.