Hydrogen Therapy Shows Promise for Inherited Blindness Treatment
- Authors
- Ye Tao, Lei Geng, Liqiang Wang, Weiwei Xu, Limin Qin, Guanghua Peng, Yi Feng Huang, Ji Xue Yang
- Journal
- Medical Science Monitor
- Year
- 2016
- DOI
- 10.12659/msm.897107
- Study Type
- clinical
- Peer Reviewed
- Yes
- Country
- China
- Health Condition
- Retinitis Pigmentosa
- Body System
- Visual System
TL;DR
Scientists found that hydrogen gas might help save people's eyesight from a disease called retinitis pigmentosa, which causes blindness by slowly destroying the cells in your eyes—hydrogen works by getting rid of harmful stuff inside cells that makes them die off.
Key Finding
Hydrogen may selectively neutralize harmful reactive oxygen species in retinal tissue while preserving the beneficial oxidation-reduction reactions needed for cell survival, potentially offering a novel approach to slow photoreceptor degeneration in retinitis pigmentosa.
Summary
Retinitis pigmentosa is an inherited eye disease where light-sensing cells in the retina gradually die, leading to vision loss. This paper proposes that hydrogen gas might help protect these cells by neutralizing harmful molecules called reactive oxygen species (ROS) that damage them. The authors argue that hydrogen could be a good candidate for treatment because it can eliminate these harmful molecules without disrupting the normal chemical processes cells need to survive.
Practical Takeaway
This is a theoretical proposal, not a completed study with results—no human trials have been conducted yet. While the reasoning about hydrogen's antioxidant properties is scientifically sound, this represents early-stage thinking rather than evidence that hydrogen water would help retinitis pigmentosa patients. Testing in animal models and human clinical trials would be needed before any therapeutic claims could be made.
Abstract
Retinitis pigmentosa (RP) is a heterogeneous group of inherited retinal dystrophies characterized by progressive photoreceptor apoptosis. Reactive oxygen species (ROS) have been recognized as critical initiators of the photoreceptor apoptosis in RP. Photoreceptor survival in RP mutants will not only require the inhibition of effectors of apoptotic machinery, but also the elimination of the initiating upstream signals, such as ROS. These cytotoxic ROS should be neutralized by the antioxidant defense system, otherwise they would interact with the macromolecules essential for photoreceptor survival. Hydrogen is a promising gaseous agent that has come to the forefront of therapeutic research over the last few years. It has been verified that hydrogen is capable of neutralizing the cytotoxic ROS selectively, rectifying abnormities in the apoptotic cascades, and attenuating the related inflammatory response. Hydrogen is so mild that it does not disturb the metabolic oxidation-reduction reactions or disrupt the physiologic ROS involved in cell signaling. Based on these findings, we hypothesize that hydrogen might be an effective therapeutic agent to slow or prevent photoreceptor degeneration in RP retinas. It is a logical step to test hydrogen for therapeutic use in multiple RP animal models, and ultimately in human RP patients.