Hydrogen Water Blocks Cancer Cell Invasion in Lab Study
Suppressive effects of electrochemically reduced water on matrix metalloproteinase-2 activities and in vitro invasion of human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells
Research hubs: Immune System
This research was done on cells or tissue in a lab, not in people or animals.
- Evidence type
- Laboratory study (cells or tissue)
- Authors
- Tomoya Kinjo, Jun Ye, Hanxu Yan, Takeki Hamasaki, Hidekazu Nakanishi, Kazuko Toh, Noboru Nakamichi, Shigeru Kabayama, Kiichiro Teruya, Sanetaka Shirahata
- Journal
- Cytotechnology
- Year
- 2012
- PMID
- 22695858
- Study Type
- Cell Culture
- Delivery
- Water (Electrolysis)
- Outcome
- Positive
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Cited by
- 15 (OpenAlex, as of November 2026)
- Country
- Japan
TL;DR
Electrochemically reduced water (ERW) can decrease the activity of a protein that helps cancer cells invade healthy tissue by reducing harmful hydrogen peroxide inside the cells.
Key Finding
Electrochemically reduced water suppressed fibrosarcoma cancer cell invasion by reducing hydrogen peroxide levels and decreasing MMP-2 protein expression through a specific cellular pathway (p38 MAPK).
Summary
This laboratory study examined how electrochemically reduced water (water treated with electrical current to add hydrogen) affects cancer cells called fibrosarcoma. Researchers found that this water reduced the activity of proteins called matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which help cancer cells spread, and decreased the cells' ability to invade surrounding tissue. The effect appeared to work by reducing harmful molecules called hydrogen peroxide inside the cells.
Practical Takeaway
While this cell-culture study suggests hydrogen-rich water may have anti-cancer properties through antioxidant mechanisms, it is very early-stage research conducted only in laboratory cells—not in animals or humans. Much more research, including animal and human studies, would be needed before any health claims could be made. This finding cannot yet be applied to real-world cancer treatment.
Abstract (excerpt)
It has been demonstrated that hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) is directly associated with elevated matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) expression in several cell lines. Electrochemically reduced water (ERW), produced near the cathode during electrolysis, and scavenges intracellular H(2)O(2) in human…