Hydrogen Medicine: Current State and Future Potential for Treatment
- Authors
- Shengqiang Chen, Lingting Zeng, Qianjun He
- Journal
- Fundamental Research
- Year
- 2026
- DOI
- 10.1016/j.fmre.2025.06.014
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Inflammatory Diseases
- Body System
- Immune System
TL;DR
Scientists found that tiny hydrogen molecules could be a powerful new medicine because they reduce swelling and damage in the body really well, and they can reach almost any part of your body safely—but doctors still need to figure out the best ways to deliver it and use it in real patients.
Key Finding
Hydrogen gas shows promise as a broad-spectrum anti-inflammatory and antioxidant agent with high safety and the ability to penetrate tissues, but significant work remains to clarify its mechanisms and optimize delivery methods for clinical use.
Summary
This is a review article that examines the current state of hydrogen medicine—the use of hydrogen gas (H2) as a potential treatment. Researchers summarize what is known about how hydrogen works in the body, how it moves through tissues, and different ways to deliver it to patients. The review identifies key challenges, including understanding exactly how hydrogen produces its effects and developing better methods to detect and deliver it effectively.
Practical Takeaway
This is a review of the field rather than a new study with results, so it reflects the current state of hydrogen research rather than new evidence. While it suggests hydrogen has therapeutic potential, the authors emphasize that more work is needed to understand how it works and to develop effective clinical applications. Anyone considering hydrogen water should recognize that this field is still in early stages of development.
Abstract
The hydrogen molecule (H2) has distinctive characteristics and advantages in broad-spectrum anti-inflammation, high biosafety and strong tissue permeability, exhibiting a therapeutic potential in numerous diseases associated with inflammation and oxidative stress. In this perspective, we attempt to show a clear picture of the status quo, challenges and future directions of hydrogen medicine in terms of biological mechanisms, metabolic behaviors, and delivery materials and techniques of H2. Firstly, we present the current understanding of biological effects and corresponding mechanisms of H2 involving the recognition of H2 molecular target, and point out the challenge of explaining the multifaceted biological behaviors of H2. Then, to explore and understand the metabolic behaviors of H2, we summarize current H2 detection techniques and identify the experimental validation of high biocarriers-crossing ability of H2 by virtue of a freshly developed H2 molecular bioprobe. Next, to develop the strategies for enhancing the efficacy of hydrogen therapy, we demonstrate the evolution of H2-delivery materials from H2 carriers to hydrolytic and catalytic H2-generating materials. Finally, we outline the future development directions of hydrogen medicine.