Immune / Inflammation
Immune function and inflammation are by far the most broadly studied area: the database contains several hundred papers related to this topic, including around 60 human studies — predominantly small controlled trials, pilot and case reports — supplemented by numerous reviews as well as preclinical animal and cell work.
Hydrogen-rich water, inhalation of H₂ gas and hydrogen-rich infusion solutions were tested across very different inflammatory situations. The endpoints were mostly inflammatory messengers (cytokines such as IL-6 or TNF-α), oxidative markers and clinical tolerability data. H₂ is examined here as a possible regulator of excessive inflammatory responses.
Many papers report favorable changes in individual inflammatory markers, but the data come from heterogeneous, mostly small studies of short duration. The evidence is therefore preliminary and mechanistic in character; an established clinical benefit as an immune or anti-inflammatory therapy cannot be derived from it.
Human studies on molecular hydrogen for Immune / Inflammation. This page collects the 254 studies catalogued in this area — 9 randomized trials, 51 pilot/observational studies and 93 reviews. Listed newest first.
2026 · Dumbuya — The protective effects of molecular hydrogen in sepsis-associated encephalopathy: current status.
Sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE) — brain dysfunction that develops during severe infections — currently has no specific approved therapy.
2026 · Paparella — Medical Gases as Emerging Regulators of Paediatric Endocrine and Neurodevelopmental Pathways: A Mini-Review
Gaseous signalling molecules — including molecular hydrogen (H₂), nitric oxide, carbon monoxide and hydrogen sulphide — are increasingly recognised as modulators of the developing brain and endocrine system in children.
2026 · Nguyen Puente — Emerging Clinical Applications for Molecular Hydrogen
Inhaled molecular hydrogen (H₂) has accumulated a growing body of encouraging clinical findings across neurological, cardiovascular, oncological and respiratory conditions — yet the evidence base remains constrained by small study sizes, inconsistent methodology, and a lack of standardised delivery systems.
2026 · Merigo — Gas Therapies for Neuro-Protection
Cardiac arrest causes severe neurological damage, and conventional treatment options remain inadequate — but inhaled gas therapies including molecular hydrogen (H₂), nitric oxide, xenon and argon show neuroprotective promise through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
2026 · Nguyen — Advances in hydrogen delivery strategies for therapeutic applications
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has selective antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and anticancer properties — but getting it reliably to target tissues remains the central challenge limiting clinical use.
2026 · Pan — Stimuli-Responsive Hydrogen Production from Nanomaterials: Design, Regulation and Biomedical Applications
H₂ gas has broad therapeutic potential, but its low solubility and lack of targeted delivery limit clinical use — nanotechnology offers a solution through stimuli-responsive nanomaterials that produce H₂ on demand at disease sites.
2026 · Viana — Molecular hydrogen and kidney diseases: a scoping review based on scientometry and data analytics
Acute kidney injury and chronic kidney disease impose enormous burdens globally — and molecular hydrogen (H₂) consistently shows protective effects against apoptosis, fibrosis, inflammation and oxidative stress in kidney disease models.
2025 · Xie — Mechanisms and Protective Strategies for Astronaut Skin Injury in Deep Space Environments
This review summarises the current understanding of how deep space conditions — microgravity, ionising radiation, lunar dust, and microbiome disruption — damage astronaut skin, and what engineering and biomedical strategies are being developed to protect it.
2025 · Kornieieva — Exploring the Potential of Molecular Hydrogen in Different Heart Failure Models: A Review
This is the first systematic review summarising all published research on molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a potential treatment in different heart failure models.
2025 · Zhu — Molecular mechanisms associated with effects of hydrogen molecule in liver diseases: the review of current evidence
Oxidative stress and inflammation drive liver disease progression from inflammation to fibrosis and cancer — this review summarises how molecular hydrogen selectively neutralises harmful free radicals and modulates inflammatory signalling to potentially slow this cascade.
2025 · Li — Delivery of Molecular Hydrogen for Precision Immunomodulation: Mechanisms, Detection Methods, and Applications
Molecular hydrogen modulates immune function through antioxidant action, suppression of inflammatory mediators, and inhibition of apoptosis — yet the precise dose-efficacy relationship in living organisms remains unclear due to the lack of accurate in-vivo detection methods.
2025 · Brandi — Molecular hydrogen therapy: A „democratic” emerging strategy against aging and age-related diseases
Aging is the primary risk factor for cardiovascular disease, neurodegeneration, metabolic conditions, and cancer — this review proposes that molecular hydrogen, owing to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and senescence-regulating properties, may offer a widely accessible strategy for slowing age-related processes.
2025 · Zajac — Molecular Hydrogen in the Treatment of Respiratory Diseases
This review compiles twenty years of research on molecular hydrogen in respiratory medicine, covering allergies, asthma, COPD, pulmonary fibrosis, lung injury, respiratory infections, and lung cancer.
2025 · Bjørklund — Advanced Glycation End Products and Skin Autoimmune Disorders: Pathogenic Insights into Vitiligo, Bullous Pemphigoid, and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus
Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) — toxic compounds formed under high blood sugar — trigger oxidative stress and autoimmune responses that can cause skin diseases such as vitiligo and bullous pemphigoid in Type 1 Diabetes.
2025 · Bilski — Antioxidant Therapies as Emerging Adjuncts in Rheumatoid Arthritis: Targeting Oxidative Stress to Enhance Treatment Outcomes
Rheumatoid arthritis is driven not only by immune dysregulation but also by oxidative stress — current DMARDs fail to address ROS-mediated joint damage, opening space for antioxidant adjuncts.
2025 · Sahu — Activation, interaction and intimation of Nrf2 pathway and their mutational studies causing Nrf2 associated cancer
The Nrf2 transcription factor is the cell's master antioxidant switch — when Nrf2 functions correctly, it defends against cancer-driving oxidative damage; when mutated, it can paradoxically protect tumour cells from therapy.
2025 · Neykhonji — Exploring the Potential of H₂ Therapy in Reducing Surgical Complications: A Review on Anti-inflammatory, Antioxidant, and Anti-fibrotic Mechanisms
Molecular hydrogen shows anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anti-fibrotic properties that could make it a candidate for preventing post-surgical adhesions — one of the most common and debilitating complications after abdominal and pelvic surgery.
2025 · Meng — Oral Administration of Hydrogen-rich Water: Biomedical Activities, Potential Mechanisms, and Clinical Applications
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) reduces oxidative stress, modulates inflammation, regulates metabolism, and protects mitochondrial function — this comprehensive review surveys both laboratory evidence and clinical applications of orally consumed HRW.
2025 · Li — Application Trends of Hydrogen-generating Nanomaterials for the Treatment of ROS-related Diseases
Hydrogen-producing nanomaterials allow targeted, sustained delivery of H₂ directly to sites of disease — this review surveys how combining H₂ gas therapy with nanomedicine advances treatment of cancers, neurodegeneration, cardiovascular, liver, kidney, and skin diseases driven by excess reactive oxygen species (ROS).
2025 · Todorović — Hydrogen as an Innovative Nootropic in Health and Disease
Molecular hydrogen may improve executive function, alertness, and memory — this review surveys current evidence for H₂ as a nootropic (cognitive enhancer) in healthy individuals and in patients with neurodegenerative disorders, circadian disruption, and cancer.
2024 · Slezák — New Possibilities of the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Pathologies: The Potential of Molecular Hydrogen in the Reduction of Oxidative Stress
This review examines molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a selective antioxidant with particular promise for cardiovascular disease, where oxidative stress plays a defining role.
2024 · Xu — The Landscape of Smart Biomaterial-Based Hydrogen Therapy
This comprehensive review maps the rapidly evolving field of biomaterial-based H₂ delivery systems — engineered materials that can carry, target, and release molecular hydrogen precisely where disease processes occur.
2024 · Kura — The Protective Role of Molecular Hydrogen in Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
Ischemia/reperfusion injury (IRI) — where tissue damage is paradoxically worsened when blood flow is restored after oxygen deprivation — is a major cause of harm in heart attacks, strokes, and organ transplantation.
2024 · Zheng — Potential Role of Molecular Hydrogen Therapy on Oxidative Stress and Redox Signaling in Chronic Kidney Disease
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is driven in large part by oxidative stress — and current therapies to slow its progression remain inadequate.
2024 · Hu — The Molecular Biological Mechanism of Hydrogen Therapy and Its Application in Spinal Cord Injury
Spinal cord injury (SCI) causes devastating neurological damage and has very limited treatment options.
2024 · Khiji — The Therapeutic Application of Hydrogen in Cancer: The Potential and Challenges
Cancer is frequently associated with oxidative stress and chronic inflammation, and this review examines molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a candidate supportive therapy that could help prevent cancer recurrence and reduce treatment side effects.
2024 · Chen — The Role of Hydrogen in the Prevention and Treatment of Coronary Atherosclerotic Heart Disease
Coronary atherosclerotic heart disease (CHD) — the most common cardiovascular disease worldwide — is driven by chronic inflammation and oxidative lipid deposition in arterial walls.
2024 · Takefuji — Hydrogen Inhalation Therapy for Inflammation and Eye Diseases: A Review of the Literature
This literature review in the journal Eye surveys published evidence on hydrogen inhalation therapy for inflammatory conditions — with a focus on eye diseases.
2023 · Mohd Noor — A Systematic Review of Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Cancer Management
A systematic review of 27 studies classifies molecular hydrogen as a promising adjunctive cancer therapy.
2023 · He et al. — The Role of Hydrogen Therapy in Alzheimer's Disease Management: Insights into Mechanisms, Administration Routes, and Future Challenges
This review comprehensively examines the therapeutic potential of molecular hydrogen in Alzheimer's disease (AD), focusing on how H₂ may counteract key pathological processes including oxidative stress, amyloid-beta metabolism, tau phosphorylation, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction.
2023 · Saengsin et al. — Hydrogen Therapy as a Potential Therapeutic Intervention in Heart Disease: From the Past Evidence to Future Application
This comprehensive review in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences synthesises in-vitro, animal, and clinical evidence for molecular hydrogen's protective effects in cardiovascular disease, covering its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
2023 · Wu et al. — Molecular Hydrogen: An Emerging Therapeutic Medical Gas for Brain Disorders
This wide-ranging review in Molecular Neurobiology surveys the evidence for hydrogen therapy across eight major brain disorders — including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, ischemic stroke, traumatic brain injury, neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy, depression, anxiety, and multiple sclerosis.
2023 · Li — Trend of research on the medical use of molecular hydrogen: a bibliometric analysis
This bibliometric analysis of 1,126 PubMed publications on molecular hydrogen therapy (up to July 2021) shows a clear upward trend from 2007 onward.
2022 · Zhang et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Is a Potential Protective Agent in the Management of Acute Lung Injury
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) may offer protective effects in acute lung injury (ALI) and acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) — two life-threatening conditions seen in critically ill patients, including those with severe COVID-19.
2022 · Ahmad et al. — Narrative on Hydrogen Therapy and its Clinical Applications: Safety and Efficacy
This narrative review surveys the growing body of evidence on molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a therapeutic agent across cardiovascular, respiratory, neurological, metabolic, and infectious diseases — summarising both its proposed mechanisms and current safety data.
2022 · Fu — Molecular hydrogen is a promising therapeutic agent for pulmonary disease
This review summarizes the growing body of evidence suggesting that molecular hydrogen can protect the lungs from a range of diseases — including acute lung injury, COPD, asthma, lung cancer, pulmonary hypertension, and pulmonary fibrosis — through its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.
2021 · Tallima — Cell surface sphingomyelin: key role in cancer initiation, progression, and immune evasion.
This review examines how excess sphingomyelin (SM) on the outer surface of cancer cells enables tumors to evade the immune system, resist apoptosis, and ignore growth-suppressor signals.
2021 · Alwazeer — Combating Oxidative Stress and Inflammation in COVID-19 by Molecular Hydrogen Therapy: Mechanisms and Perspectives.
This review systematically examines how molecular hydrogen (H₂) could theoretically address the oxidative stress and uncontrolled inflammation at the heart of severe COVID-19 — including its ability to suppress NF-κB signaling and activate the Nrf2 antioxidant pathway.
2021 · Hirano — Molecular Hydrogen as a Novel Antitumor Agent: Possible Mechanisms Underlying Gene Expression.
This review surveys the growing evidence that molecular hydrogen (H₂) may act as an antitumor agent — not only by directly scavenging the most damaging reactive oxygen species (hydroxyl radicals), but also by regulating gene expression through indirect biological defense mechanisms.
2021 · Yamamoto — Molecular Hydrogen as a Novel Protective Agent against Pre-Symptomatic Diseases.
This review explores how molecular hydrogen (H₂) may help prevent „mibyou“ — the Japanese concept of pre-symptomatic illness in which disease silently develops before symptoms appear — by suppressing the chronic inflammation and oxidative stress that underlie many modern inflammatory conditions.
2021 · Hirano — Molecular Hydrogen as a Potential Clinically Applicable Radioprotective Agent.
This review compiles animal and early clinical evidence showing that molecular hydrogen (H₂) can protect against radiation-induced damage — both in diagnostic and therapeutic radiation contexts — primarily by selectively scavenging the hydroxyl radicals (·OH) generated when ionizing radiation hits water molecules.
2021 · Quan — Protective effects of molecular hydrogen on lung injury from lung transplantation.
This review synthesizes the experimental evidence showing that H₂ — administered via inhalation, drinking, injection, or topical bath — can reduce the oxidative stress and inflammation responsible for primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation.
2021 · Hirano — Potential Therapeutic Applications of Hydrogen in Chronic Inflammatory Diseases: Possible Inhibiting Role on Mitochondrial Stress.
This review proposes a mechanism by which molecular hydrogen (H₂) may inhibit NLRP3 inflammasome activation — a central driver of chronic inflammation — by reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) produced inside mitochondria.
2021 · Shi et al. — Hydrogen treatment: a novel option in liver diseases.
Hydrogen therapy shows promise in a range of liver conditions — from fatty liver disease to hepatitis B and chemotherapy-induced liver dysfunction — acting through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
2021 · Chen et al. — Chemical and Biochemical Aspects of Molecular Hydrogen in Treating Kawasaki Disease and COVID-19.
Kawasaki disease and COVID-19 both involve damaging vascular inflammation; this review explores the chemical and biochemical rationale for using inhaled molecular hydrogen (H₂) in both conditions.
2021 · Zhang et al. — Hydrogen Gas: A Novel Type of Antioxidant in Modulating Sexual Organs Homeostasis.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) appears to benefit reproductive health in both males and females — from improving sperm motility and erectile function to protecting ovarian function and reducing uterine inflammation — acting primarily through antioxidant and anti-inflammatory mechanisms.
2021 · Sano et al. — Hydrogen Gas Therapy: From Preclinical Studies to Clinical Trials.
Hydrogen gas (H₂) has demonstrated broad therapeutic potential in preclinical and early clinical studies — from ischaemia-reperfusion injury to organ transplantation and emergency medicine — and appears safe, inexpensive, and easy to administer.
2021 · Domoki — Hydrogen-induced Neuroprotection in Neonatal Hypoxic-ischemic Encephalopathy.
In animal models of neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) — a leading cause of brain damage in newborns — molecular hydrogen (H₂) has consistently shown neuroprotective effects, including preserved neurovascular function, neuronal survival, and cognitive outcomes.
2021 · Nogueira et al. — Recent Advances in Molecular Hydrogen Research Reducing Exercise-Induced Oxidative Stress and Inflammation.
Exercise-induced oxidative stress and inflammation — harmful when exercise is exhaustive — may be mitigated by molecular hydrogen (H₂), which has shown antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties in both animal and human studies.
2021 · Li et al. — Recent advances in studies of molecular hydrogen in the treatment of pancreatitis.
Pancreatitis — a serious inflammatory disease of the pancreas with high mortality — has recently attracted interest in molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a potential treatment, acting through antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-apoptotic, and immune-modulatory mechanisms.
2021 · Bajgai et al. — Role of Molecular Hydrogen in Skin Diseases and its Impact in Beauty.
Oxidative stress and chronic inflammation are central drivers of skin diseases such as psoriasis, atopic dermatitis, and skin ageing; molecular hydrogen (H₂) may offer a therapeutic approach by targeting these mechanisms.
2021 · Ohta — Direct Targets and Subsequent Pathways for Molecular Hydrogen to Exert Multiple Functions: Focusing on Interventions in Radical Reactions
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is not simply a passive antioxidant — it actively intervenes in radical chain reactions, modifying lipid peroxides and downstream signaling cascades.
2021 · Ostojic — Hydrogen Gas as an Exotic Performance-Enhancing Agent: Challenges and Opportunities
This review maps approximately two dozen studies on hydrogen (H₂) and exercise performance, finding promising ergogenic signals — but also highlighting the absence of a gold-standard protocol.
2021 · Slezak et al. — Oxidative Stress and Pathways of Molecular Hydrogen Effects in Medicine
This review explains why molecular hydrogen (H₂) has unique advantages over conventional antioxidants: it selectively neutralises the most damaging reactive oxygen species while leaving beneficial ones intact.
2020 · Chen et al. — The future of cryoablation: An abscopal effect
This review on cryoablation for cancer treatment briefly mentions molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a potential combination partner — specifically because H₂ may rescue exhausted CD8+ T cells and thereby amplify the immune response triggered by tumour ablation.
2019 · Qian — Medical Application of Hydrogen in Hematological Diseases.
This review article surveys the clinical and basic research on molecular hydrogen in haematological diseases, including graft-versus-host disease (GvHD) after stem cell transplantation, and summarises H₂'s established antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic properties.
2019 · Morris — Myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome: From pathophysiological insights to novel therapeutic opportunities.
This review maps the multiple pathophysiological abnormalities described in ME/CFS — including chronic inflammation, oxidative and nitrosative stress, gut barrier disruption, and mitochondrial dysfunction — and identifies several candidate therapeutic agents, among them molecular hydrogen, that target these pathways.
2019 · LeBaron et al. — A New Approach for the Prevention and Treatment of Cardiovascular Disorders. Molecular Hydrogen Significantly Reduces the Effects of Oxidative Stress.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) has been studied in preclinical and clinical settings for a wide range of cardiovascular conditions linked to oxidative stress and inflammation.
2019 · Ishibashi — Therapeutic Efficacy of Molecular Hydrogen: A New Mechanistic Insight.
Beyond scavenging hydroxyl radicals, molecular hydrogen (H₂) may act directly on mitochondrial complex I — the enzyme that drives cellular energy production.
2019 · LeBaron et al. — Hydrogen gas: from clinical medicine to an emerging ergogenic molecule for sports athletes.
Hydrogen gas (H₂) may serve as both an exercise mimetic and a „redox adaptogen“ — reducing harm from excessive or damaging exercise while potentially amplifying the benefits of healthy training.
2019 · Cejka et al. — The preventive and therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen in ocular diseases and injuries where oxidative stress is involved.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is uniquely suited for eye diseases because it is the only antioxidant that crosses both the blood-brain and blood-ocular barriers.
2019 · Kura et al. — Molecular hydrogen: potential in mitigating oxidative-stress-induced radiation injury.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) may help protect against radiation-induced oxidative damage by activating the body's own antioxidant defence systems — particularly the Nrf2 pathway — and reducing lipid peroxidation.
2019 · Li et al. — Hydrogen as a complementary therapy against ischemic stroke: A review of the evidence.
Hydrogen gas inhalation has been studied as a complementary treatment for ischemic stroke, targeting the damaging cascade of free radicals and inflammation that unfolds after a blood vessel in the brain is blocked.
2019 · Wang et al. — Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy: emerging therapeutic strategies based on pathophysiologic phases of the injury.
This 2019 review proposes a phase-based treatment framework for neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE), a major cause of infant death and disability.
2019 · Tao et al. — Molecular hydrogen: current knowledge on mechanism in alleviating free radical damage and diseases.
Since molecular hydrogen was identified as a hydroxyl radical scavenger in 2007, beneficial effects have been documented in over 170 disease models and human conditions.
2019 · Wu — Hydrogen Gas from Inflammation Treatment to Cancer Therapy
This review surveys the emerging field of molecular hydrogen (H₂) therapy, from its anti-inflammatory mechanisms to its potential role in cancer treatment, with special focus on how nanomaterials can deliver H₂ more precisely to target sites.
2018 · Morris — The putative role of oxidative stress and inflammation in the pathophysiology of sleep dysfunction across neuropsychiatric disorders
This review proposes that oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, and mitochondrial dysfunction are shared drivers of sleep disturbances in chronic fatigue syndrome, bipolar disorder, and multiple sclerosis.
2016 · Slezák — Preventive and Therapeutic Application of Molecular Hydrogen in Situations with Excessive Production of Free Radicals
This review from Slovak researchers covers the antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms of molecular hydrogen (H₂), summarising animal experiments and clinical observations that suggest H₂ may prevent oxidative stress-related diseases.
2016 · Zheng — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy Ameliorates Organ Damage Induced by Sepsis
This review summarises animal-based evidence suggesting that molecular hydrogen can reduce inflammatory cytokine release, oxidative stress, and organ damage in sepsis models, improving survival rates across brain, lung, liver, kidney, and intestinal tissues.
2015 · Ostojic — Molecular hydrogen: An inert gas turns clinically effective.
For decades considered biologically inert, molecular hydrogen (H₂) has in recent years accumulated clinical evidence — from metabolic diseases to chronic inflammation and cancer.
2015 · Ohta — Molecular hydrogen as a novel antioxidant: overview of the advantages of hydrogen for medical applications.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is a mild, selective antioxidant that neutralizes the most damaging reactive oxygen species without disrupting normal cellular redox signaling — a key advantage over broad-spectrum antioxidants.
2015 · Ostojic — Molecular hydrogen in sports medicine: new therapeutic perspectives.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) may offer a novel approach for addressing exercise-induced oxidative stress and sports injuries, with potential to also improve exercise performance.
2014 · Xie et al. — Hydrogen gas presents a promising therapeutic strategy for sepsis.
This review summarises preclinical evidence that inhaled molecular hydrogen (H₂) improved survival and reduced organ damage in animal models of sepsis.
2014 · Ohta — Molecular hydrogen as a preventive and therapeutic medical gas: initiation, development and potential of hydrogen medicine.
One of the founding papers of hydrogen medicine, authored by Shigeo Ohta, summarises how H₂ was discovered to react with harmful hydroxyl radicals in cells — and why this makes it a candidate for preventing and treating a wide range of diseases.
2014 · Fernández-Gajardo et al. — Novel therapeutic strategies for traumatic brain injury: acute antioxidant reinforcement.
This review examines antioxidant-based strategies for treating traumatic brain injury (TBI), including hydrogen-rich saline, arguing that oxidative stress is a central driver of secondary brain damage after trauma.
2013 · Takaki — Multiple hits, including oxidative stress, as pathogenesis and treatment target in non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) progresses through multiple simultaneous pathways — including insulin resistance, gut microbiota, and oxidative stress — and conventional antioxidants have failed in long-term trials because they act non-selectively.
2013 · Ishibashi — Molecular hydrogen: new antioxidant and anti-inflammatory therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and related diseases
Reactive oxygen species (ROS) — especially the hydroxyl radical — play a central role in the joint destruction and systemic inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA), and molecular hydrogen (H₂) selectively neutralizes exactly this radical.
2013 · Lucas — Role of the Toll Like receptor (TLR) radical cycle in chronic inflammation: possible treatments targeting the TLR4 pathway
Activation of the Toll-like receptor 4 (TLR4) pathway — triggered by environmental factors such as ozone, particulate matter, ionizing radiation, and LPS from bacteria — may underlie a wide spectrum of chronic inflammatory and neuropsychiatric diseases.
2012 · Ohno et al. — Molecular hydrogen as an emerging therapeutic medical gas for neurodegenerative and other diseases.
This review surveys the research on molecular hydrogen (H₂) across 63 disease models and human diseases documented in the four and a half years after the landmark 2007 Nature Medicine paper.
2012 · Ohta — Molecular hydrogen is a novel antioxidant to efficiently reduce oxidative stress with potential for the improvement of mitochondrial diseases.
This review by Shigeo Ohta — one of the founders of modern H₂ medicine — surveys the biological effects of molecular hydrogen across more than 38 diseases, physiological states, and clinical tests documented in the years following the 2007 Nature Medicine paper.
2011 · Ohta — Recent progress toward hydrogen medicine: potential of molecular hydrogen for preventive and therapeutic applications.
Since the landmark 2007 Nature Medicine paper demonstrating that molecular hydrogen (H₂) selectively neutralizes toxic hydroxyl radicals, the field of hydrogen medicine has grown rapidly.
2011 · Noda et al. — The principle and the potential approach to ROS-dependent cytotoxicity by non-pharmaceutical therapies: optimal use of medical gases with antioxidant properties.
Oxidative stress and reactive oxygen species (ROS) are implicated in many major diseases including inflammation, diabetes, glaucoma, cancer, ischemia, and neurodegeneration.
2011 · Zheng et al. — Hydrogen resuscitation, a new cytoprotective approach.
Oxidative injury — from ischemia-reperfusion, inflammation, trauma, or toxins — damages cells, tissues, and organs by unleashing reactive oxygen species.
2011 · Acuña Castroviejo — Melatonin-Mitochondria Interplay in Health and Disease
This review examines how melatonin interacts with mitochondria to counteract oxidative and nitrosative stress — one of the core mechanisms underlying a wide range of diseases.
2010 · Hong — Research Advances on Hydrogen Therapy in Nervous System Diseases
This review summarises experimental evidence that molecular hydrogen (H₂) exerts significant protective effects in various neurological diseases — including ischaemia, hypoxia, neurodegeneration, and spinal cord injury — through anti-oxidative, anti-inflammatory, and anti-apoptotic mechanisms.
2010 · Shen — Hydrogen as a novel and effective treatment of acute carbon monoxide poisoning.
This hypothesis paper proposes that inhaled molecular hydrogen (H₂) could be an effective treatment for acute carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning.
2026 · Stolecka-Warzecha — Redox Water Consumption Attenuates Exercise-Induced Inflammation and Oxidative Stress in Physically Active Adults: A Randomized Controlled Trial
Eight weeks of hydrogen-enriched redox water dampens the inflammatory surge after intense exercise.
2026 · Kuang — Exploratory Evaluation of Hydrogen-Rich Water Therapy for Keloid Management: A Double-Blinded Randomized Pilot Trial
Hydrogen-rich drinking water relieved pain and itching in keloid patients and dampened inflammatory and scar-forming messengers.
2025 · Zhang — Hydrogen-rich water supplementation attenuates oxidative stress and inflammation in chronic high-altitude disease patients: A double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study
In chronic high-altitude disease, 60 days of hydrogen-rich water dampened inflammation-related gene pathways.
2024 · Tan — The Effect of 14-Day Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water Alleviates Fatigue but Does Not Ameliorate Dyspnea in Long-COVID Patients: A Pilot, Single-Blind, and Randomized, Controlled Trial
Hydrogen-rich water alleviates exhaustion in Long-COVID — but not shortness of breath.
2020 · Dobashi et al. — Hydrogen-rich water suppresses the reduction in blood total antioxidant capacity induced by 3 consecutive days of severe exercise in physically active males.
In a crossover trial with 8 active men, drinking H₂-rich water (5.14 ppm) before and after each of 3 consecutive intense exercise sessions maintained the blood antioxidant status — measured as the BAP/d-ROM ratio — while placebo water allowed it to decline progressively.
2014 · Ostojic et al. — Effectiveness of oral and topical hydrogen for sports-related soft tissue injuries.
In male professional athletes with acute soft tissue injuries, adding oral hydrogen tablets (2 g/day) plus topical hydrogen-rich packs accelerated joint range-of-motion recovery and reduced plasma viscosity compared to standard treatment alone.
2014 · Ishibashi et al. — Therapeutic efficacy of infused molecular hydrogen in saline on rheumatoid arthritis: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot study.
In 24 patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA), intravenous infusion of H₂-enriched saline (500 mL/day, 5 days) significantly reduced disease activity scores (DAS28), lowered IL-6 and the oxidative damage marker 8-OHdG, and reduced MMP-3 — a marker of joint destruction — after 4 weeks.
2026 · Pozdnyakova — The combined use of inhaled nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen in patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome
Combined inhalation of nitric oxide (NO) and molecular hydrogen (H₂) relieves post-COVID syndrome better than NO alone.
2026 · Li — Adjunctive Molecular Hydrogen Capsule Therapy in Empyema Complicated by Chronic Inflammatory Demyelinating Polyneuropathy: A Case Report
A 76-year-old man with a rare combination of chest infection (Stage II empyema) and an autoimmune nerve disorder (CIDP) recovered after surgery plus adjuvant oral molecular hydrogen therapy.
2026 · Xu et al. — Hydrogen-Enriched Hyaluronic Acid Dressing Ameliorates Diabetic Foot Ulcer via Promoting Mitophagy
A hyaluronic acid dressing enriched with molecular hydrogen accelerated wound healing in diabetic foot ulcer patients and, in parallel laboratory experiments, activated the cellular „self-cleaning“ programme for damaged mitochondria (mitophagy).
2026 · Lin et al. — Adjunctive Molecular Hydrogen Therapy Modulates T Cell Markers and Reduces Anti-Ro Antibody in Refractory Oral Ulcers of Behçet's Disease and Sjögren's Syndrome: A Case Report
A 67-year-old woman with both Behçet's disease and primary Sjögren's syndrome — whose recurrent painful oral ulcers had not responded to years of standard therapy — showed marked clinical improvement and falling anti-Ro antibody levels after adding oral molecular hydrogen capsules to her regimen.
2025 · Moriya et al. — Hydrogen Inhalation Is Associated With a Transient Rightward Shift in Prefrontal Oxyhemoglobin Asymmetry and Autonomic Modulation
A single 30-minute session of pure hydrogen gas inhalation (99.9 % H₂, 300 mL/min via nasal cannula) transiently increased oxygenation in the right prefrontal cortex and simultaneously altered heart-rate variability in healthy adults — findings consistent with a brief, coordinated neurovascular-autonomic response.
2025 · Wong et al. — Nano-Bubble Hydrogen Water in Wet-Wrap Dressing Improves the Severity of Pediatric Patients With Atopic Dermatitis
In 20 children with atopic dermatitis, wet-wrap dressings soaked in nano-bubble hydrogen water significantly reduced erythema, dryness, and total skin severity scores compared to baseline; in a split-body sub-study (8 patients), hydrogen-water-treated limbs improved significantly more than limbs treated with plain water.
2025 · Lui et al. — Predicting Therapeutic Response to Molecular Hydrogen in Autoimmune Diseases via Immunophenotyping
Can we predict in advance which autoimmune patients will benefit from H₂ therapy? This prospective study in 25 patients (rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and others) developed a novel prediction index — the HRPI — based on immune cell profiles.
2025 · Tu et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Rheumatoid Arthritis: A Case Report on the Amelioration of Methotrexate-induced Myelosuppression and Immune Modulation
Methotrexate (MTX) is essential for rheumatoid arthritis but can cause dangerous bone marrow suppression.
2025 · Tsai et al. — Molecular Hydrogen as an Adjuvant Therapy in Comorbid Sjögren's Syndrome, SLE, and ILD: A Case Report on Immune Modulation and Fatigue Reduction
A 69-year-old woman with overlapping Sjögren's syndrome, systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), and interstitial lung disease (ILD) — a difficult-to-treat triad — showed notable clinical improvements after adding molecular hydrogen therapy to her regimen.
2025 · Lin et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Capsule Therapy for Primary Biliary Cholangitis With Elevated IgG4: A Case Report on Immune Marker Normalization
Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a chronic autoimmune liver disease that often responds inadequately to the standard drug ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).
2025 · Hsu et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy Enhances Immune Markers in Treg, Plasma, Tr1 Cells, and KLRG1 Expression on Tc Cells: A Case of Acute SDH With Midline Shift and Uncal Herniation Post-decompressive Craniectomy
Acute subdural hematoma with brain herniation carries high mortality and poor neurological outcomes.
2025 · Tu et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy for SLE-PAH: Case Report on Immune Marker Modulation
SLE-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension (SLE-PAH) is one of the most life-threatening complications of lupus, and standard vasodilator treatments often fail to adequately control progression.
2025 · Lin et al. — Molecular Hydrogen as an Adjuvant Therapy in Severe Lupus Serositis With Heart Failure: A Case Report on Immune Modulation and Fatigue Reduction
SLE with cardiac complications is managed with steroids and immunomodulators — but prolonged use causes serious side effects.
2025 · Kuang et al. — Hydrogen-Rich Saline Combined With Vacuum Sealing Drainage Promotes Wound Healing by Altering Biotin Metabolism
Impaired wound healing is a significant clinical burden — particularly in post-surgical or chronic wound settings.
2025 · Lin et al. — Molecular Hydrogen as a Potential Adjunctive Therapy to Improve Renal Function and Reduce Fatigue in an Elderly Patient With Chronic Comorbidities: A Case Report
An 89-year-old woman with coronary artery disease, type 2 diabetes with nephropathy, and SLE — presenting with recurrent wound infection — showed improved renal function and reduced chronic fatigue after adjuvant hydrogen capsule therapy.
2025 · Lin et al. — Precision Assessment of Anti-NMDA Receptor Encephalitis: A Case Report on Integrating Clinical Course, Immunophenotyping, and Comprehensive Symptomatology in a Pediatric Patient With Adjunctive Hydrogen Therapy
Anti-NMDA receptor encephalitis is the most common form of autoimmune encephalitis — and it is notoriously difficult to treat when first-line therapies fail.
2024 · Lu — Using oral molecular hydrogen supplements to combat microinflammation in humans: a pilot observational study
Solid oral hydrogen capsules lowered inflammation markers in chronically ill patients.
2024 · Chen — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Aneurysmal SAH With RA and Newly-diagnosed SLE, Complicated With Acute Ischemic Infarction: A Case Report of Improved Immune Markers Including Tr1 Cells, Breg Cells and TIM3 Expression on Tc Cells.
A 44-year-old woman with a ruptured brain aneurysm, rheumatoid arthritis, and newly diagnosed lupus remained unconscious despite surgery, immunosuppressants, and plasmapheresis — until daily hydrogen capsules were added.
2024 · Lin — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy in Sjögren's Syndrome With Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension and Right-sided Heart Failure: A Case Report of Improved Immune Markers Including Treg, B Cells and Plasma Cell.
A 56-year-old woman with Sjögren's syndrome-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension and right-sided heart failure — unresponsive to five standard drugs — experienced clinical stabilisation and measurable immune improvement after starting daily hydrogen capsules as an add-on.
2024 · Lui — Molecular Hydrogen as a Promising Therapy Could Be Linked With Increased Resting Treg Cells or Decreased Fas+ T Cell Subsets in a IgG4-PF-ILD Patient: A Case Report.
An 85-year-old woman with progressive fibrosing interstitial lung disease complicated by hospital-acquired pneumonia showed noticeable improvement in lung infiltrations on chest X-ray by day four of hydrogen-assisted therapy, alongside measurable immune changes: resting Treg cells rose, while Fas+ T cell subsets declined.
2024 · Liu — The Benefit of Hydrogen Gas as an Adjunctive Therapy for Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease.
Six COPD patients who added hydrogen gas inhalation (30 min, three times daily for 30 days) to standard treatment showed significant improvements in symptom burden scores (CAT) and dyspnoea scale (mMRC) — but no changes in lung function, sleep quality, inflammation markers, or oxidative stress markers.
2023 · Sumbalová — The Effect of Adjuvant Therapy with Molecular Hydrogen on Endogenous Coenzyme Q10 Levels and Platelet Mitochondrial Bioenergetics in Patients with Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.
In patients with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), eight weeks of hydrogen-rich water improved platelet mitochondrial energy production, raised coenzyme Q10 levels in platelets, and reduced oxidative stress markers — while placebo showed no significant changes.
2023 · Campbell — H2 generated by fermentation in the human gut microbiome influences metabolism and competitive fitness of gut butyrate producers.
Hydrogen gas produced by gut bacteria during carbohydrate fermentation is not a passive waste product — it actively regulates which metabolites the microbiome produces.
2022 · Tanaka — Hydrogen-rich bath with nano-sized bubbles improves antioxidant capacity and inflammation levels in human serum
A 10-minute bath in hydrogen-rich water with nano-bubbles raised blood antioxidant capacity by about 11% and lowered the inflammatory marker CRP by roughly 30% in healthy volunteers — and sustained CRP reductions were observed in patients with autoimmune conditions over months of daily bathing.
2021 · Hirano — Protective effects of hydrogen gas inhalation on radiation-induced bone marrow damage in cancer patients: a retrospective observational study
Hydrogen inhalation mitigated bone marrow damage from irradiation — without weakening the tumor effect.
2021 · Kaibori — Effect of hydrogen gas inhalation on patient QOL after hepatectomy: protocol for a randomised controlled trial
This is a published trial protocol — not yet results — for a randomised, double-blind, controlled study testing whether inhaling hydrogen gas after liver surgery improves patients' quality of life and reduces post-operative complications.
2021 · Si — Effects of hydrogen as adjuvant treatment for unstable angina
In 40 patients with unstable angina, adding hydrogen-rich water to standard drug therapy for three months reduced angina symptoms and produced greater reductions in total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B compared to standard treatment alone.
2021 · Chen — High-flow hydrogen inhalation might suppress the immune function of middle-aged participants: a self-controlled study
Twenty healthy adults who inhaled hydrogen at high flow rates for 2–4 hours daily over two weeks showed significant decreases in several immune cell populations, including T helper cells, NK cells, and gamma delta T cells.
2020 · Qian — Hydrogen in Patients With Corticosteroid-Refractory/Dependent Chronic Graft-Versus-Host-Disease: A Single-Arm, Multicenter, Open-Label, Phase 2 Trial
In chronic graft-versus-host disease that no longer responded to cortisone, 75 % of patients on hydrogen water achieved an objective improvement — without notable side effects.
2020 · Chen — Two weeks of hydrogen inhalation can significantly reverse adaptive and innate immune system senescence in patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a self-controlled study
Two weeks of hydrogen inhalation normalized aging-typical changes of the immune system in patients with advanced lung cancer.
2020 · Wang et al. — Hydrogen gas (XEN) inhalation ameliorates airway inflammation in asthma and COPD patients.
A single 45-minute inhalation of hydrogen-containing steam (2.4 % H₂) reduced key inflammatory cytokines in airways of 10 asthma and 10 COPD patients — including monocyte chemotactic protein 1 in both groups and IL-8 in asthma.
2020 · Javorac et al. — Case Report: Acute hydrotherapy with super-saturated hydrogen-rich water for ankle sprain in a professional athlete.
A professional athlete with a grade II ankle sprain received six sessions of 30-minute H₂-rich water hydrotherapy within the first 24 hours post-injury, with notable improvements in pain (VAS 50 → 20), ankle swelling (–2.8 %), and dorsiflexion range of motion (+27.9 %) by the 24-hour follow-up.
2019 · Yang et al. — Skin ulcers infected with conditional pathogenic strains treated with local hydrogen water packing in two pemphigus vulgaris patients: Case reports with follow-up for 2 months.
Two patients with pemphigus vulgaris — an autoimmune blistering disorder — developed secondary skin ulcer infections with opportunistic pathogens that were treated with local wet packing using hydrogen water, resulting in healing over two months of follow-up.
2018 · Zhu — Positive Effects of Hydrogen-Water Bathing in Patients of Psoriasis and Parapsoriasis en Plaques
In a parallel-controlled trial, hydrogen-water bathing achieved at least 75% improvement in psoriasis severity (PASI-75) in 24.4% of patients versus 2.9% in controls, with over half the patients reaching PASI-50 improvement.
2018 · Nakayama — Novel Haemodialysis Treatment Employing Molecular Hydrogen-Enriched Dialysis Solution Improves Prognosis of Chronic Dialysis Patients: A Prospective Observational Study
Over a mean observation period of 3.28 years, chronic haemodialysis patients treated with H₂-enriched dialysis solution had a 41% lower risk of combined all-cause mortality and major cardiovascular events compared to conventional haemodialysis (hazard ratio 0.59, 95% CI 0.38–0.92).
2017 · Nakayama et al. — Possible clinical effects of molecular hydrogen (H₂) delivery during hemodialysis in chronic dialysis patients: Interim analysis in a 12 month observation.
In a 12-month prospective observation with 262 chronic dialysis patients, H₂-enriched dialysis solution was associated with lower antihypertensive drug use and fewer complaints of severe fatigue and pruritus — without detectable differences in standard dialysis parameters.
2017 · Qian et al. — Therapeutic effects of hydrogen on chronic graft-versus-host disease.
This study combined a mouse model of chronic graft-versus-host disease (cGVHD) with a clinical human component, finding that hydrogen-rich saline increased survival rates and reduced skin lesions in mice — and suggesting human therapeutic relevance in post-transplant patients.
2015 · Ishibashi et al. — Improvement of psoriasis-associated arthritis and skin lesions by treatment with molecular hydrogen: A report of three cases.
In three patients with psoriasis-associated arthritis and skin lesions, H₂ treatment (via saline infusion, inhalation, and/or high-concentration drinking water) reduced DAS28 and PASI scores, caused near-complete clearing of skin lesions, and lowered inflammatory cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, TNFα) in at least one patient.
2010 · Nakayama et al. — A Novel Bioactive Haemodialysis System Using Dissolved Dihydrogen (H₂) Produced by Water Electrolysis: A Clinical Trial
Adding dissolved molecular hydrogen to dialysis solution significantly reduced blood pressure and inflammatory markers in hemodialysis patients.
2007 · Maev et al. — Blood Flow and Morphofunctional Status of Gastroduodenal Mucosa in Different Phases of Peptic Ulcer
This gastroenterology study uses the hydrogen gas clearance technique to measure gastric and duodenal mucosal blood flow in peptic ulcer disease — it is not an H₂ therapy study.
2006 · Huang et al. — Electrolyzed-Reduced Water Reduced Hemodialysis-Induced Erythrocyte Impairment in End-Stage Renal Disease Patients
Six months of electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) treatment in chronic hemodialysis patients reduced oxidative stress, improved red blood cell survival, and attenuated pro-inflammatory cytokines — second only to vitamin C, and without its side effects.
2005 · Sobko et al. — Birth-Related Increase in Intracolonic Hydrogen Gas and Nitric Oxide as Indicator of Host-Microbial Interactions
This study measured endogenous hydrogen gas produced by gut bacteria in 32 newborns during the first 6 months of life to monitor intestinal colonization — it is not an H₂ therapy study.
2003 · Huang — Reduced hemodialysis-induced oxidative stress in end-stage renal disease patients by electrolyzed reduced water.
Patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) undergoing chronic hemodialysis showed significantly reduced oxidative stress markers and improved antioxidant status after one month of drinking electrolyzed reduced water (ERW).
2026 · Wang — Hydrogen gas inhalation alleviated cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury by regulating mitophagy in SH-SY5Y cells and mice via PTEN-induced kinase 1/Parkin pathway.
Inhaling molecular hydrogen (H₂) after a stroke-like event (cerebral ischemia/reperfusion) significantly reduced brain tissue damage, neuronal death, and neurological deficits in both mouse models and cell cultures.
2026 · Yang — Molecular hydrogen suppresses gut inflammation and pyroptosis in ulcerative colitis through promoting PKM2 lactylation to block NLRP3 inflammasome activation.
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) reduces intestinal inflammation and cell death (pyroptosis) in ulcerative colitis by promoting a post-translational modification of the enzyme PKM2 — called lactylation — which in turn prevents the NLRP3 inflammasome from triggering inflammatory cascades.
2026 · Zhu — Self-Adaptive Hydrogen Nano-Delivery System in Glaucoma Management: Synergistic Antioxidation and Anti-inflammation Therapeutic Strategy
Glaucoma-induced optic nerve damage remains a leading cause of blindness, and current treatments focus only on lowering intraocular pressure — ignoring the oxidative stress and inflammation that drive the underlying damage.
2026 · Bordoni — Ru-Based NSAIDs as Potential Anticancer Therapeutics
Combining anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) with ruthenium metal centres creates novel compounds with promising anticancer activity in cell culture — and molecular hydrogen (H₂) is produced as a byproduct during synthesis, not as a therapeutic agent.
2026 · Zhang — Sub-nano Molybdenum Oxide Nanorings as Amplified Atomic Efficiency Sonosensitizers for Highly Efficient Sonodynamic Tumor Ablation
Sub-nanometer molybdenum oxide nanorings (MoOx-S NRs) were designed as a dual-function nanosystem that generates both reactive oxygen species and hydrogen gas under ultrasound stimulation, aiming to kill cancer cells and modulate the tumor microenvironment.
2026 · Cao — A Hydrogen Generator Enhances Immunogenic Transarterial Chemoembolization in Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Adding a hydrogen-releasing material (nano-CaH₂) to the standard TACE (transarterial chemoembolization) procedure for liver cancer enabled local H₂ release that reduced tumor hypoxia, enhanced drug effectiveness, and activated anti-tumor immune responses — all demonstrated in animal models.
2026 · Liang — Synergistic Calcium Overload and Hydrogen Release Potentiate Robust Antitumor Immunity
A nanoplatform called Ca@CMPN combines calcium hydride and curcumin to simultaneously flood cancer cells with calcium ions (triggering immunogenic cell death) and release H₂ to reduce oxidative stress and reshape the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment.
2026 · Wu — Hydrogen Ameliorates Psoriasis-Like Skin Inflammation via Inhibiting the cGAS-STING Pathway
In a mouse model of psoriasis, hydrogen-rich water significantly reduced skin inflammation by inhibiting the cGAS-STING signalling pathway — a key driver of the excessive immune activation characteristic of psoriasis.
2026 · Zhang — Pearl-Like Bioinspired Coating Enables Regulation of Mg Degradation for Osteoporotic Bone Repair
A pearl-inspired multilayer coating for magnesium alloy bone implants was developed to precisely control the rate at which magnesium degrades in osteoporotic bone — specifically preventing premature hydrogen gas release, which can cause local tissue problems.
2026 · Jiao — Therapeutic Potential of Magnesium Diboride Nanosheets in PAH-Associated Right Heart Failure: Integrated Multi-Omics Analysis Reveals Ferroptosis Suppression via LC3/ATG5/NCOA4/FTH1 Pathway
Magnesium diboride (MgB₂) nanosheets — which release H₂ upon contact with body fluids — were tested in an animal model of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) and its resulting right heart failure.
2025 · Chu — Hydrogen Enhanced Photothermal Therapy for Redox-regulated Tumor Apoptosis and Immune Reprogramming
A novel nanomaterial platform combines hydrogen release with near-infrared photothermal heating to simultaneously destroy tumour cells and protect immune cells — demonstrating, for the first time, that H₂ can act as both a pro-oxidant in cancer cells and an antioxidant protector in immune cells within the same tumour environment.
2025 · Zhu — Transdermal Hydrogen Therapy for Psoriasis Using Cavity-embedded Double-conical Microneedles
A new microneedle patch delivers hydrogen directly through the skin into psoriatic tissue, where sustained H₂ release significantly outperformed a standard topical therapy (calcipotriol cream) in reducing oxidative damage, inflammation, and the hallmark skin thickening of psoriasis.
2025 · Wang — Spontaneous Hydrogen-releasing Nanoenzyme Alleviates Osteoarthritis via Oxidative Stress Reduction and Mitochondrial Dysfunction Reversal
A newly engineered nanoenzyme that spontaneously releases hydrogen gas alleviated osteoarthritis in animal experiments by reducing oxidative stress, restoring mitochondrial function, promoting the clearance of damaged mitochondria (mitophagy), and slowing cartilage degeneration.
2025 · Wang — Hierarchical ROS-scavenging platform breaks vicious cycle of stem cell senescence, angiogenesis arrest, and immune dysregulation in diabetic wounds.
Diabetic chronic wounds are driven by a self-reinforcing cycle of oxidative stress, stem cell ageing, impaired blood-vessel growth, and immune imbalance.
2025 · Cao — Nanobiocatalyst-Driven Spatiotemporal Hydrogen Delivery Induces Dormancy Potentiated Catalytic Tumor Therapy.
Colorectal cancer cells can be pushed into a dormant, non-dividing state by molecular hydrogen (H₂) — and this dormancy makes them far more vulnerable to oxidative attack.
2025 · Lu — Pyroptosis-responsive microspheres modulate the inflammatory microenvironment to retard osteoporosis in female mice.
Bone loss in osteoporosis is partly driven by a destructive inflammation mechanism called pyroptosis — and a newly designed implantable microsphere scaffold that releases hydrogen gas, magnesium ions, and an anti-inflammatory drug simultaneously can interrupt this process.
2025 · Liu — Local Delivery of Molecular Hydrogen by Fluorinated Zeolitic Imidazole Framework Nanosheets Boosts Cancer Immunotherapy.
A newly engineered nanomaterial can carry and locally release large amounts of molecular hydrogen (H₂) inside a tumour, while also amplifying the effect of immune checkpoint therapy.
2025 · Huang — Magnesium hydride-induced hydrogen therapy for enhanced sonodynamic therapy.
Combining molecular hydrogen (H₂) released from magnesium hydride with ultrasound-activated cancer therapy (sonodynamic therapy, SDT) significantly improves anti-tumour efficacy and enhances the response to immune checkpoint inhibitors in mice.
2025 · Zhang — RNA-Seq Reveals the Mechanism of Synergistic Hydrogen-Chemotherapy Based on Active Magnesium Micromotors for Inhibiting Glioblastoma Recurrence by Modulating Tumor Microenvironment.
Glioblastoma (GBM) almost always returns after surgery — and a new approach using self-propelled magnesium micromotors that generate hydrogen gas locally and simultaneously deliver chemotherapy drug doxorubicin may significantly inhibit this recurrence.
2025 · Lu — Dietary addition of magnesium hydride nanoparticles: a breakthrough in combating high-fat diet-induced chronic kidney disease.
A high-fat diet gradually damages the kidneys — and feeding mice magnesium hydride (MgH₂) nanoparticles, which release hydrogen gas continuously in the digestive tract, provided significant protection against this kidney damage by reducing fibrosis and inflammation.
2025 · Lin — Galvanic Cell Bipolar Microneedle Patches for Reversing Photoaging Wrinkles.
A microneedle patch containing magnesium-based bipolar electrodes generates microcurrents and releases hydrogen gas and magnesium ions directly in the skin via a galvanic cell reaction.
2025 · Mancebo — Performance of Unmodified Mechanical Ventilators With 2% Hydrogen Gas Mixtures.
Can standard, unmodified intensive-care ventilators safely deliver a 2% H₂ gas mixture?
2025 · Zhang — Ternary Schottky Junction for Sonocatalytic Water Splitting in Gas-Immunotherapy-Mediated Cancer Treatment.
A specially designed nanoparticle catalyst (BPM) splits water inside tumours using ultrasound, generating both hydrogen and oxygen in situ.
2025 · Yu — Protective Effects of Hydrogen Treatment Against High Glucose-Induced Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis via Inhibition of the AGEs/RAGE/NF-κB Signaling Pathway in Skin Cells.
In cell culture, molecular hydrogen protected human skin cells (keratinocytes and fibroblasts) against the oxidative stress and cell death caused by high glucose or advanced glycation end-products (AGEs) — compounds that accumulate in diabetic tissue.
2025 · Yang — Manganese Galvanic Cells Intervene in Tumor Metabolism to Reinforce cGAS-STING Activation for Bidirectional Synergistic Hydrogen-Immunotherapy.
Manganese galvanic-cell nanostructures (MnG) generate hydrogen and manganese ions inside tumours by reacting with water, simultaneously activating a key innate-immunity pathway (cGAS-STING) and disrupting tumour glucose metabolism.
2025 · Su — Multifaceted Immunomodulatory Nanocomplexes Target Neutrophilic-ROS Inflammation in Acute Lung Injury.
A two-pronged nanoparticle system combining a neutrophil-inhibiting drug with hydrogen-releasing silicon nanoparticles significantly reduced lung injury in mouse models of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI).
2025 · Ji — Hydrolysis of 2D Nanosheets Reverses Rheumatoid Arthritis Through Anti-Inflammation and Osteogenesis.
Two-dimensional calcium disilicide nanoparticles (CSN) hydrolyse in joint fluid to release hydrogen gas, calcium hydroxide, and silica simultaneously — tackling three distinct processes that drive rheumatoid arthritis: oxidative stress, joint acidity, and bone erosion.
2024 · Tumurbaatar — The effect of hydrogen gas on the oxidative stress response in adipose tissue.
Human fat tissue soaked in hydrogen-dissolved culture medium showed reduced markers of harmful oxidative stress and a trend toward smaller fat cell size.
2024 · Li — Hydrogen-rich water alleviates asthma airway inflammation by modulating tryptophan metabolism and activating aryl hydrocarbon receptor via gut microbiota regulation.
In asthmatic mice, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) shifted gut bacteria toward beneficial species and raised levels of a key bacterial metabolite that calmed airway inflammation via a specific receptor pathway.
2024 · Xu — Poly(ionic liquid)-Flocculated Chlorella Loading Bactericidal and Antioxidant Hydrogel as a Biological Hydrogen Therapy for Diabetic Wound Dressing.
A hydrogel wound dressing that uses living algae to continuously produce H₂ on-site was engineered and tested on infected diabetic wounds in cell and animal models.
2024 · Lin — Hydrogen-treated CoCrMo alloy: a novel approach to enhance biocompatibility and mitigate inflammation in orthopedic implants.
Treating the surface of a metal alloy used in orthopedic implants with hydrogen reduced free radicals by 85% in cell models, improved cell compatibility, and promoted new bone formation in an initial animal test.
2024 · Meng — Hydrogen Therapy Reverses Cancer-Associated Fibroblasts Phenotypes and Remodels Stromal Microenvironment to Stimulate Systematic Anti-Tumor Immunity.
In cell and animal cancer models, a magnesium-based H₂-releasing implant reversed the immune-suppressive behaviour of cancer-associated fibroblasts, turning „cold“ tumors that resist the immune system into „hot“ ones that attract cancer-fighting T cells.
2024 · Wang — Combined use of hydrogen-rich water and enzyme-digested edible bird's nest improves PMA/LPS-impaired wound healing in human inflammatory gingival tissue equivalents.
In a laboratory model of inflamed human gum tissue, the combination of hydrogen-rich water and a processed form of edible bird's nest significantly counteracted the wound-healing damage caused by an inflammatory stimulus.
2024 · Chen et al. — Endogenous Melanin and Hydrogen-Based Specific Activated Theranostics Nanoagents: A Novel Multi-Treatment Paradigm for Rheumatoid Arthritis
Researchers developed nanoparticles (MAHI NGs) that release molecular hydrogen, melanin nanoparticles, and a clinical fluorescent dye directly into inflamed joints — guided by the specific chemical environment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).
2024 · Lu et al. — Decoupling the Mutual Promotion of Inflammation and Oxidative Stress Mitigates Cognitive Decline and Depression-Like Behavior in rmTBI Mice by Promoting Myelin Renewal and Neuronal Survival
In mice subjected to repetitive mild traumatic brain injury (rmTBI), early treatment with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) significantly reduced oxidative stress and inflammasome activation, preserved myelin integrity, and improved both cognitive performance and depression-like behaviour.
2024 · Cui et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Attenuates Sepsis-Induced Cardiomyopathy in Mice by Promoting Autophagy
In a mouse model of sepsis-induced cardiomyopathy (SIC), molecular hydrogen inhalation significantly improved 7-day survival, reduced cardiac tissue inflammation, and lowered troponin I levels — effects that operated through promotion of autophagy and mitophagy.
2023 · Agar — The Inhibition Mechanism of Pancreatic Ductal Adenocarcinoma via LXR Receptors: A Multifaceted Approach Integrating Molecular Docking, Molecular Dynamics and Post-MD Inter-Molecular Contact Analysis
A computational in-silico study investigated how natural compounds — Baicalein, Beta-Sitosterol, and Polydatin — might inhibit Liver X receptors (LXR), which play a role in the progression of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).
2023 · Aokage — Attenuation of pulmonary damage in aged lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammation mice through continuous 2 % hydrogen gas inhalation: A potential therapeutic strategy for geriatric inflammation and survival
In aged mice (21–23 months) with LPS-induced systemic inflammation, continuous inhalation of 2 % hydrogen gas for 24 hours reduced lung inflammation, lowered senescence-related markers, and improved survival — while having no measurable effect on LPS-induced liver injury.
2023 · Dumbuya — Hydrogen-rich saline regulates NLRP3 inflammasome activation in sepsis-associated encephalopathy rat model
In a juvenile rat model of sepsis-associated encephalopathy (SAE), hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) reduced brain inflammation, suppressed NLRP3 inflammasome activation, decreased neuronal apoptosis, and lowered oxidative stress markers.
2023 · Liu — Hydrogen gas ameliorates acute alcoholic liver injury via anti-inflammatory and antioxidant effects and regulation of intestinal microbiota
In a mouse model of acute alcoholic liver disease, H₂ inhalation reduced liver oxidative stress, inflammation, and fat accumulation, while also improving the composition of the gut microbiota and strengthening the intestinal barrier.
2023 · Zhu — Inorganic Nanosheet-Shielded Probiotics: A Self-Adaptable Oral Delivery System for Intestinal Disease Treatment
Researchers developed a nanomaterial coating for probiotic bacteria that resists stomach acid, then spontaneously degrades in the intestine to release hydrogen gas — simultaneously exposing the probiotics for their anti-inflammatory effect on colitis.
2023 · Wang — pH-Responsive Delivery of H₂ through Ammonia Borane-Loaded Hollow Polydopamine for Intervertebral Disc Degeneration Therapy
A pH-responsive nanoparticle system (ammonia borane inside hollow polydopamine shells, AB@HPDA) releases H₂ in the acidic environment of a degenerated intervertebral disc, reducing oxidative stress and inflammation in both in-vitro and in-vivo (rat/rabbit) experiments.
2023 · Iketani — H₂-induced transient upregulation of phospholipids with suppression of energy metabolism
Short exposure to molecular hydrogen transiently shifts the lipid composition of neuroblastoma cells and temporarily suppresses their energy metabolism — a complex cellular response that hints at how H₂ may interact with cell membranes.
2023 · Zhu — Two-Dimensional Mg₂Si Nanosheet-Enabled Sustained Hydrogen Generation for Improved Repair and Regeneration of Deeply Burned Skin
A hydrogel dressing embedded with magnesium silicide nanosheets can continuously release molecular H₂ for about one week — and in animal and cell experiments, this sustained H₂ supply significantly accelerated healing of deep burn wounds without visible scarring.
2023 · Yang — Molecular Hydrogen Promotes Adipose-derived Stem Cell Myogenic Differentiation via Regulation of Mitochondria
In cell culture experiments, exposing fat-tissue-derived stem cells to molecular hydrogen significantly improved their survival and their ability to differentiate into muscle cells — an effect linked to improved mitochondrial function and reduced oxidative stress.
2022 · Chen et al. — Photocatalytic Glucose Depletion and Hydrogen Generation for Diabetic Wound Healing
Researchers engineered hydrogen-incorporated titanium oxide nanorods that, under visible light, simultaneously deplete glucose and generate molecular hydrogen (H₂) at diabetic wound sites — addressing both the hyperglycaemic microenvironment and chronic inflammation.
2022 · Yan et al. — Microbial Hydrogen „Manufactory” for Enhanced Gas Therapy and Self-Activated Immunotherapy via Reduced Immune Escape
Researchers used live photosynthetic bacteria (PSB) as a biological H₂ „factory” to release sustained amounts of hydrogen at tumour sites, selectively disrupting the reactive oxygen species balance in cancer cells while simultaneously stimulating an anti-tumour immune response.
2022 · Geng et al. — Hydrogen Helps to Ameliorate Staphylococcus aureus-Induced Mastitis in Mice
In a mouse model of bacterial mastitis, hydrogen-rich vitamin E glycerin (HR-VEG) applied topically to the mammary gland reduced tissue damage, inflammatory cytokines (TNF-α, IL-1β, IL-6), and bacterial load more effectively than regular vitamin E glycerin — by inhibiting the TLR2/Nod2-NF-κB/MAPK signalling cascade.
2022 · Li — Local Treatment of Hydrogen-Rich Saline Promotes Wound Healing In Vivo by Inhibiting Oxidative Stress via Nrf-2/HO-1 Pathway
Applying hydrogen-rich saline directly to skin wounds in mice accelerated wound closure and reduced inflammation compared to regular saline, with the Nrf-2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway identified as the key mechanism.
2022 · Adzavon — Long-term and daily use of molecular hydrogen induces reprogramming of liver metabolism in rats by modulating NADP/NADPH redox pathways
Rats exposed to molecular hydrogen for six months — either by drinking hydrogen-rich water or inhaling 4 % H₂ gas — showed reduced fat accumulation in the liver, lower blood lipid levels, and broad metabolic changes driven by the NADP/NADPH redox system.
2022 · Mouzakis — Quantification of dissolved H₂ and continuous monitoring of hydrogen-rich water for haemodialysis applications: An experimental study
This study validated a contactless electrochemical sensor for continuously measuring dissolved hydrogen concentrations in physiological solutions relevant to haemodialysis.
2022 · Ge — Microbial hydrogen economy alleviates colitis by reprogramming colonocyte metabolism and reinforcing intestinal barrier
In mice with experimentally induced acute colitis, hydrogen-rich saline administration reduced intestinal inflammation, increased beneficial short-chain fatty acid (SCFA)-producing bacteria, and strengthened the gut barrier.
2022 · Zhang — Metal-Organic-Framework-Based Hydrogen-Release Platform for Multieffective Helicobacter Pylori Targeting Therapy and Intestinal Flora Protective Capabilities
Researchers developed a pH-responsive nanoparticle system (palladium-hydrogen loaded into a zinc-based metal-organic framework, coated with an anti-inflammatory hydrogel) that, in both cell and animal experiments, selectively targets stomach inflammation sites, releases hydrogen to kill H.
2022 · Saitoh — Molecular hydrogen suppresses Porphyromonas gingivalis lipopolysaccharide-induced increases in interleukin-1 alpha and interleukin-6 secretion in human gingival cells.
In a laboratory cell model of periodontitis, molecular hydrogen (H₂) significantly reduced the secretion of two key inflammatory cytokines — IL-1α and IL-6 — triggered by a major periodontal pathogen.
2021 · Yin et al. — Hydrogen Gas with Extracorporeal Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation Improves Survival after Prolonged Cardiac Arrest in Rats
In a rat model of prolonged cardiac arrest, adding hydrogen gas (H₂) to extracorporeal cardiopulmonary resuscitation (ECPR) dramatically improved 4-hour survival: 78% with H₂ versus 22% without.
2021 · LeBaron et al. — An H₂-Infused, Nitric Oxide-Producing Functional Beverage as a Neuroprotective Agent for TBIs and Concussions
Traumatic brain injuries (TBIs) and concussions currently lack effective medical treatments, and this paper argues that a combination of molecular hydrogen and nitric oxide — delivered via a functional beverage — could address multiple aspects of TBI pathophysiology simultaneously.
2021 · Hughes — Reshaping of bacterial molecular hydrogen metabolism contributes to the outgrowth of commensal E. coli during gut inflammation
During intestinal inflammation, certain gut bacteria — including E. coli — gain a competitive advantage by ramping up their ability to consume molecular hydrogen (H₂).
2021 · Zhang — Molecular hydrogen alleviates asthma through inhibiting IL-33/ILC2 axis
In an OVA-sensitised mouse model of asthma and a bronchial epithelial cell model, hydrogen/oxygen gas mixture inhalation markedly reduced allergic inflammation by suppressing the IL-33/ILC2 signalling axis.
2021 · Li — Hydrogen Attenuates Endotoxin-Induced Lung Injury by Activating Thioredoxin 1 and Decreasing Tissue Factor Expression
In a mouse model of endotoxin-induced lung injury, H₂ inhalation significantly improved survival, reduced pulmonary oedema, and decreased neutrophil infiltration — apparently by activating the antioxidant protein Thioredoxin 1 (Trx1), which in turn suppressed tissue factor (TF) and MMP-9.
2021 · Matsuura — Hydrogen Gas Therapy Attenuates Inflammatory Pathway Signaling in Septic Mice
In a mouse cecal ligation and puncture (CLP) sepsis model, continuous H₂ inhalation improved 7-day survival from 40% to 75% and suppressed systemic and organ-level inflammatory signalling.
2020 · Kiyoi — Constitutive Hydrogen Inhalation Prevents Vascular Remodeling via Reduction of Oxidative Stress
In a mouse model of cuff-induced vascular injury, continuous inhalation of 1.3 % hydrogen gas for several weeks significantly reduced abnormal vascular wall thickening (neointima formation) — an effect associated with decreased DNA damage and downregulation of the NADPH oxidase NOX1.
2020 · Zhuang — Molecular hydrogen attenuates sepsis-induced neuroinflammation through regulation of microglia polarization through an mTOR-autophagy-dependent pathway.
In both a mouse sepsis model (cecal ligation and puncture) and LPS-stimulated BV-2 microglial cells, inhaled hydrogen reduced neuroinflammation, shifted microglia from a pro-inflammatory (M1) to an anti-inflammatory (M2) state, and improved cognitive function.
2020 · Yang — Hydrogen inhibits endometrial cancer growth via a ROS/NLRP3/caspase-1/GSDMD-mediated pyroptotic pathway.
In endometrial cancer cell lines and a xenograft mouse model, hydrogen-rich water increased reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cancer cells, activated the NLRP3 inflammasome/GSDMD pyroptosis pathway, and suppressed tumour growth.
2020 · Jiao — Protective effects of hydrogen-rich saline against experimental diabetic peripheral neuropathy via activation of the mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium channel in rats.
In streptozotocin-induced diabetic rats, hydrogen-rich saline injected intraperitoneally for four weeks reduced behavioural, biochemical, and molecular markers of diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), with effects partially mediated through mitochondrial ATP-sensitive potassium (Mito-K-ATP) channels.
2020 · Niu — Hydrogen Attenuates Allergic Inflammation by Reversing Energy Metabolic Pathway Switch
Hydrogen curbs allergic airway inflammation by resetting a disturbed energy metabolism of the immune cells.
2019 · Kou et al. — Acid-responsive H₂-releasing Fe nanoparticles for safe and effective cancer therapy.
This preclinical study describes an ingenious drug-delivery strategy: iron nanoparticles coated with carboxymethyl cellulose that release molecular hydrogen (H₂) selectively inside the acidic tumour microenvironment, enabling targeted, imaging-guided cancer therapy in mice.
2019 · Bordoni — Positive Effect of an Electrolyzed Reduced Water on Gut Permeability, Fecal Microbiota and Liver in an Animal Model of Parkinson's Disease
In a rat model of Parkinson's disease induced by the pesticide permethrin, co-treatment with electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) protected the gut barrier, reduced liver inflammation, and shifted the gut microbiota toward a healthier profile.
2019 · Zhang — Hydrogen Gas Improves Photothermal Therapy of Tumor and Restrains the Relapse of Distant Dormant Tumor
A biomimetic nanoparticle (mPDAB) that releases molecular hydrogen (H₂) locally in the tumor was combined with photothermal therapy (PTT) in a mouse breast cancer model, leading to complete elimination of primary tumors and suppression of distant dormant tumor regrowth.
2019 · Wu — Hydrogen gas protects against ovariectomy-induced osteoporosis by inhibiting NF-κB activation.
In mice with surgically induced estrogen deficiency (ovariectomy model of postmenopausal osteoporosis), inhalation of 60 % molecular hydrogen (H₂) markedly reduced bone loss.
2019 · Yan — Hydrogen gas inhalation attenuates sepsis-induced liver injury in a FUNDC1-dependent manner.
In septic mice (cecal ligation and puncture model), 2 % hydrogen (H₂) gas inhalation for 3 hours improved the 7-day survival rate and reduced markers of liver damage.
2019 · Htun — Hydrogen ventilation combined with mild hypothermia improves short-term neurological outcomes in a 5-day neonatal hypoxia-ischaemia piglet model.
In newborn piglets that had suffered hypoxic-ischaemic brain injury (a model for birth asphyxia), combining therapeutic hypothermia with hydrogen (H₂) ventilation produced better neurological recovery scores than hypothermia alone over 5 days.
2019 · Liu — In vitro and in vivo studies of Mg-30Sc alloys with different phase structure for potential usage within bone.
Researchers developed a magnesium-scandium (Mg-30Sc) alloy with a body-centred-cubic (bcc) crystal structure as a biodegradable orthopaedic implant material and tested it in cell cultures and rats over 24 weeks.
2019 · Meng — Hyperoxygenated Hydrogen-Rich Solution Suppresses Lung Injury Induced by Hemorrhagic Shock in Rats.
In rats with hemorrhagic-shock-induced acute lung injury (ALI), intravenous infusion of a solution combining both extra oxygen and dissolved hydrogen (HOHS) outperformed standard resuscitation fluid and each component alone in protecting lung tissue.
2019 · Zhu — Mechanical Strength, Biodegradation, and in Vitro and in Vivo Biocompatibility of Zn Biomaterials.
Zinc (Zn)-based alloys were evaluated as a new class of biodegradable metal implant materials — notable specifically because they degrade without producing hydrogen gas, unlike magnesium-based implants.
2019 · Yu — Hydrogen gas reduces HMGB1 release in lung tissues of septic mice in an Nrf2/HO-1-dependent pathway.
In septic mice (CLP model), 2 % hydrogen (H₂) gas inhalation reduced lung injury, improved survival, and decreased the release of HMGB1 — a late-phase danger signal in sepsis — through a pathway requiring the Nrf2 transcription factor and the enzyme HO-1.
2018 · Dong — Protective effects of hydrogen gas against sepsis-induced acute lung injury via regulation of mitochondrial function and dynamics
In a mouse model of sepsis-induced acute lung injury (ALI), inhaling 2% hydrogen gas improved lung oxygenation, preserved mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production, and reduced tissue damage compared to untreated septic animals.
2018 · Tamaki — Hydrogen Flush After Cold Storage as a New End-Ischemic Ex Vivo Treatment for Liver Grafts Against Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury
A novel ex-vivo technique — flushing rat liver grafts with hydrogen-saturated solution (1.0 ppm) after cold storage — significantly reduced ischemia/reperfusion injury markers and preserved both sinusoidal endothelia and bile duct function, compared to controls.
2018 · Wan — An In Situ Depot for Continuous Evolution of Gaseous H₂ Mediated by a Magnesium Passivation/Activation Cycle for Treating Osteoarthritis
This mouse study tested intra-muscular injection of magnesium-containing microparticles (Mg@PLGA) as a local H₂ delivery system for osteoarthritis (OA).
2018 · Ostojic — Inadequate Production of H₂ by Gut Microbiota and Parkinson Disease
This theoretical paper proposes that impaired H₂ production by intestinal bacteria may contribute to the development of Parkinson's disease, and discusses supplemental H₂ as a potential therapeutic direction.
2017 · Watanabe — Protective Effect of Hydrogen Gas Inhalation on Muscular Damage Using a Mouse Hindlimb Ischaemia-Reperfusion Injury Model
In a mouse hindlimb ischaemia-reperfusion model, inhalation of hydrogen gas — administered before and during reperfusion — significantly reduced muscle infarct zone, dampened inflammation, and improved walking function recovery.
2017 · Zhao — Changes in IL-4 and IL-13 Expression in Allergic Rhinitis Treated with Hydrogen-Rich Saline in a Guinea-Pig Model
Hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced sneezing, scratching, IgE levels, and key allergy-driving cytokines (IL-4, IL-13) in guinea pigs with experimentally induced allergic rhinitis.
2016 · Franceschelli — New Approach in Translational Medicine: Effects of Electrolyzed Reduced Water (ERW) on NF-κB/iNOS Pathway in U937 Cell Line under Altered Redox State
In a cell culture experiment, electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) — which contains dissolved molecular hydrogen — protected human immune cells (U937) against hydrogen-peroxide-induced oxidative damage by restoring antioxidant enzyme activity and reducing inflammatory signalling via the NF-κB/iNOS pathway.
2016 · Wang — Hydrogen Metabolism in Helicobacter pylori Plays a Role in Gastric Carcinogenesis through Facilitating CagA Translocation
This animal and cell study shows that the bacterium Helicobacter pylori uses molecular hydrogen — produced by the gut microbiome — as an energy source to power delivery of its cancer-causing toxin CagA into stomach cells, promoting gastric cancer development in a gerbil model.
2016 · Hara — Molecular Hydrogen Alleviates Cellular Senescence in Endothelial Cells
In human vascular endothelial cells exposed to a toxic compound (TCDD), hydrogen-rich medium prevented signs of cellular ageing (senescence) even after H₂ had dissipated from the medium — an effect mediated by the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2.
2016 · Muramatsu — Hydrogen-Rich Water Ameliorates Bronchopulmonary Dysplasia (BPD) in Newborn Rats
Hydrogen-rich water given to pregnant and nursing rats reduced lung damage caused by a bacterial toxin in newborn animals.
2016 · Yang — Hydrogen-Rich Medium Ameliorates Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Barrier Dysfunction via RhoA-mDia1 Signaling in Caco-2 Cells
In intestinal epithelial cells (Caco-2), hydrogen-rich medium protected the gut barrier from LPS-induced permeability increase by modulating the RhoA-mDia1 signaling pathway, which governs tight junction and adherens junction integrity.
2015 · Chen et al. — Molecular hydrogen protects mice against polymicrobial sepsis by ameliorating endothelial dysfunction via an Nrf2/HO-1 signaling pathway.
In a mouse sepsis model, molecular hydrogen suppressed the inflammatory cascade and endothelial injury — both in cell culture and in live animals — by activating the Nrf2/HO-1 antioxidant pathway.
2015 · Hattori et al. — Maternal molecular hydrogen treatment attenuates lipopolysaccharide-induced rat fetal lung injury.
Drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) before lipopolysaccharide (LPS) injection significantly reduced inflammation, oxidative damage, and cell death in fetal rat lungs — suggesting that maternal H₂ intake could protect premature infants from inflammation-driven lung disease.
2015 · Xie et al. — Hydrogen-Rich Medium Attenuated Lipopolysaccharide-Induced Monocyte-Endothelial Cell Adhesion and Vascular Endothelial Permeability via Rho-Associated Coiled-Coil Protein Kinase.
In LPS-stimulated endothelial cell cultures, hydrogen-rich medium (H₂-RM) blocked monocyte-to-endothelium adhesion, decreased expression of adhesion molecules, and restored vascular barrier function — all via suppression of the ROCK signalling pathway.
2015 · Shi et al. — Hydrogen Therapy Reduces Oxidative Stress-associated Risks Following Acute and Chronic Exposure to High-altitude Environment.
This theoretical paper proposes that inhaling low-dose H₂ gas or drinking hydrogen-saturated water could prevent and treat mountain sickness by counteracting the oxidative stress caused by high-altitude low-oxygen and high-UV conditions.
2014 · Bazaka et al. — Polymer encapsulation of magnesium to control biodegradability and biocompatibility.
This animal and cell study investigated plasma-polymerised coatings on biodegradable magnesium implants — where hydrogen gas appears as an unwanted by-product of magnesium corrosion, not as a therapeutic agent.
2014 · Zhang et al. — Effect of hydrogen-rich water on acute peritonitis of rat models.
This animal study tested hydrogen-rich water (HRW) in three different rat models of acute peritonitis and found consistent protective effects: lower inflammatory markers, reduced oxidative damage, and decreased NF-κB expression in peritoneal tissue.
2013 · Xu et al. — Hydrogen-rich saline ameliorates renal injury induced by unilateral ureteral obstruction in rats.
In a rat model of obstructive kidney disease, hydrogen-rich saline (H₂ dissolved in salt solution) significantly reduced kidney tissue damage, cell death, fibrosis, and oxidative stress markers compared with untreated obstructed animals.
2013 · Wang et al. — A surface-eroding poly(1,3-trimethylene carbonate) coating for fully biodegradable magnesium-based stent applications.
This materials science study investigated a biodegradable polymer coating (PTMC) for magnesium-based cardiovascular stents — aiming to control corrosion and improve biocompatibility.
2012 · Yang et al. — Hydrogen-rich saline protects immunocytes from radiation-induced apoptosis.
Ionizing radiation depletes the immune system by triggering apoptosis (programmed cell death) in immune cells — a major problem in radiation therapy and radiological accidents.
2012 · Sun et al. — Oral intake of hydrogen-rich water inhibits intimal hyperplasia in arterialized vein grafts in rats.
Vein grafts used in bypass surgery frequently fail due to intimal hyperplasia — thickening of the vessel wall that narrows the lumen over time.
2011 · Schoenfeld — Hydrogen Therapy May Reduce the Risks Related to Radiation-Induced Oxidative Stress in Space Flight
This hypothesis paper proposes that astronauts exposed to cosmic radiation during space missions could benefit from H₂ therapy — via inhalation or hydrogen-rich drinking water — to counteract the oxidative and DNA damage caused by cosmic radiation.
2010 · Wong — A biodegradable polymer-based coating to control the performance of magnesium alloy orthopaedic implants.
This in-vitro and in-vivo study developed a biodegradable polymer coating for magnesium alloy bone implants to control their corrosion rate and reduce the accumulation of hydrogen gas during degradation.
2009 · Kajiya — Hydrogen mediates suppression of colon inflammation induced by dextran sodium sulfate.
In a mouse model of inflammatory bowel disease, adding molecular hydrogen (H₂) to drinking water significantly suppressed colon inflammation induced by dextran sodium sulfate (DSS).