New Nanoparticles Generate Hydrogen Gas to Fight Cancer Tumors
Rational Design of Platinum-Bismuth Sulfide Schottky Heterostructure for Sonocatalysis-Mediated Hydrogen Therapy
Research hubs: Immune System
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Meng Yuan, Shuang Liang, Ling Yang, Fang Li, Bin Liu, Chunzheng Yang, Zhuang Yang, Yulong Bian, Ping'an Ma, Ziyong Cheng, Jun Lin
- Journal
- Advanced Materials
- Year
- 2022
- DOI
- 10.1002/adma.202209589
- Study Type
- Molecular Assay
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Cancer
- Body System
- Immune System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
TL;DR
Researchers have developed a new type of cancer treatment that generates hydrogen gas within tumors to kill cancer cells, even when oxygen levels are low.
Key Finding
Platinum-bismuth sulfide nanoparticles generated hydrogen gas under ultrasound irradiation even in low-oxygen conditions and showed multiple mechanisms for damaging cancer cells in laboratory tests.
Summary
Researchers designed tiny particles made of platinum and bismuth sulfide that can generate hydrogen gas when exposed to ultrasound (sound waves). In laboratory tests, these particles produced hydrogen gas even in low-oxygen conditions (which are common in tumors) and appeared to damage cancer cells through multiple mechanisms: the hydrogen gas disrupted mitochondria (the cell's energy centers), depleted a protective molecule called glutathione, and relieved oxygen shortage in tumors. This is an early-stage molecular study with no human testing.
Practical Takeaway
This is a very early-stage laboratory study of a novel nanoparticle approach—not hydrogen water as typically consumed. No human trials have been conducted, and the study involved only molecular and cellular assays. While the results are scientifically interesting, they do not yet indicate whether this approach would be safe or effective in people.
Abstract (excerpt)
AbstractConventional sonodynamic therapy is unavoidably limited by the tumor microenvironment, although many sonosensitizers have been developed to improve them to a certain extent. Given this, a concept of sonocatalytic hydrogen evolution is proposed, which is defined as an oxygen‐independent…