Oxidative stress
Oxidative stress is an imbalance between reactive oxygen species and the body’s own protective systems. Here H₂ is studied as a possible selective radical scavenger; many papers measure markers such as d-ROMs or malondialdehyde. Oxidative stress is the most broadly studied field in this database: around 356 papers touch on this topic — including roughly 36 randomized controlled trials and about 56 pilot and observational studies in humans, supplemented by over a hundred reviews as well as numerous mechanistic and preclinical investigations.
Because oxidative stress underlies many diseases, it often serves in studies as a unifying effect endpoint — measured for example via d-ROMs, malondialdehyde, total antioxidant capacity or 8-OHdG. The studies mainly examined hydrogen-rich water (HRW) and inhalation of H₂ gas, across very different groups ranging from healthy people to the chronically ill.
Several studies report favorable shifts in individual markers; the findings are, however, heterogeneous, the studies mostly small and short, and the markers themselves not always clinically meaningful. The evidence points to an antioxidant signaling effect but overall remains preliminary and does not permit any statement about concrete benefit in disease.
Human studies on molecular hydrogen for Oxidative stress. This page collects the 356 studies catalogued in this area — 36 randomized trials, 56 pilot/observational studies and 115 reviews. Listed newest first.
2026 · Seneff — The essential role of hydrogen gas recycling by gut microbes in reducing deuterium load in host mitochondria: is trimethylamine oxide a deuterium sensor?
This hypothesis paper proposes that the gut microbiome's recycling of molecular hydrogen plays a role in keeping mitochondria supplied with deuterium-depleted water — and that TMAO (a gut-derived metabolite elevated in many chronic diseases) may function as a marker for impaired deuterium management.
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 · Ostojic — Revisiting molecular hydrogen signaling in mitochondria: Is the Rieske protein the entry point or a downstream sentinel?
A new paper demonstrated that H₂ rapidly inhibits mitochondrial Complex III via the Rieske iron-sulfur protein (RISP) — challenging the established view of H₂ as merely a free-radical scavenger.
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 · 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 · Dhillon — Hydrogen Water: Extra Healthy or a Hoax?—A Systematic Review
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) — healthy or hype? A systematic review of 25 studies concludes: the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects are „encouraging“ in early clinical studies, but not yet conclusive — larger studies are needed.
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 · Glevicka — Perspective Targeted Diagnosis and Therapy of Mitochondrial Bioenergetics Across Different Diagnoses
This review explores innovative ways to diagnose and treat mitochondrial dysfunction — a root cause shared across many diseases — using high-resolution respirometry (HRR) of blood platelets as a minimally invasive diagnostic tool.
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 · Wu — Evolution of Therapeutic Strategy Based on Oxidant-Antioxidant Balance for Fuchs Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy
Fuchs endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) — the most common primary corneal endothelial disease worldwide — is closely linked to oxidative stress and antioxidant imbalance.
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.
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 · Artamonov — Molecular Hydrogen: From Molecular Effects to Stem Cells Management and Tissue Regeneration
H₂ as a tool of regenerative medicine: by the end of 2022, more than 2,000 papers on hydrogen medicine had appeared.
2023 · Kuo — Molecular Hydrogen: Emerging Treatment for Stroke Management
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) is an emerging therapeutic approach in ischemic stroke — antioxidative, anti-inflammatory and anti-apoptotic.
2023 · Johnsen et al. — Molecular Hydrogen Therapy — A Review on Clinical Studies and Outcomes
This comprehensive review in Molecules analysed 81 identified clinical trials and 64 scientific publications on human studies of molecular hydrogen (H₂) therapy across a broad range of disease areas.
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 · Ichikawa et al. — The Overlooked Benefits of Hydrogen-Producing Bacteria
This review in Medical Gas Research proposes a new explanatory framework for why certain intestinal bacteria are truly „beneficial“: they produce molecular hydrogen (H₂) in the gut, which then scavenges harmful hydroxyl radicals generated in mitochondria and protects cells from oxidative stress.
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 · LeBaron — Electrolyzed-Reduced Water: Review I. Molecular Hydrogen Is the Exclusive Agent Responsible for the Therapeutic Effects
With alkaline electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW), it is not „alkaline water“, not „microclusters“, not „free electrons“ that work — but solely the dissolved molecular hydrogen (H₂).
2022 · Lippi — Impact of nutraceuticals and dietary supplements on mitochondria modifications in healthy aging: a systematic review of randomized controlled trials
This systematic review of 6 randomized controlled trials found that dietary supplements — including hydrogen-rich water — show positive effects on mitochondrial function markers in healthy older adults, but the total evidence base is small and further research is needed.
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 · Qi — Perspective of Molecular Hydrogen in the Treatment of Sepsis
In sepsis — the most common cause of death in intensive care units — molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a „medical gas“ shows a protective effect on several organs.
2021 · Noda — Neuroprotective and Preventative Effects of Molecular Hydrogen
Hydrogen (H₂) is neuroprotective: this review summarizes how daily H₂ could slow the progression of neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's (for which there are still no specific drugs) — via antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects and via a surprising stomach-brain connection.
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 · Schönfeld — How the brain fights fatty acids' toxicity.
This review explains why neurons, unlike most other cells, avoid using fatty acids as fuel — and describes the multiple biological strategies the brain has evolved to protect itself against lipotoxicity.
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 · Htun et al. — Hydrogen and Therapeutic Gases for Neonatal Hypoxic-Ischemic Encephalopathy: Potential Neuroprotective Adjuncts in Translational Research
Neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) — brain injury in newborns caused by oxygen deprivation — remains without a fully effective treatment, and molecular hydrogen has emerged as a promising neuroprotective candidate.
2021 · Lucas — Molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a potential treatment for acute and chronic fatigue
This review paper argues that molecular H₂ is well-suited for treating both acute and chronic fatigue, based on the premise that oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction underlie many forms of fatigue.
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 · Hu — Molecular hydrogen: A potential radioprotective agent
H₂ as a radioprotective agent: Most radiation damage arises from hydroxyl radicals (•OH) from the radiolysis of water — exactly the radical that H₂ selectively neutralizes.
2020 · Wang — Prospects of molecular hydrogen in perioperative neuroprotection from basic research to clinical application
This systematic review summarizes why molecular hydrogen is being researched as neuroprotection around surgery: antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, antiapoptotic and mitochondria-protective effects.
2020 · Hirano et al. — A „philosophical molecule,” hydrogen may overcome senescence and intractable diseases
This short review argues that molecular hydrogen (H₂) is uniquely positioned to combat ageing and difficult-to-treat diseases by scavenging hydroxyl radicals (·OH) — the most damaging reactive oxygen species — which are predominantly generated in the mitochondria.
2020 · Kawamura et al. — Application of Molecular Hydrogen as a Novel Antioxidant in Sports Science
This review surveys the evidence on molecular hydrogen (H₂) intake and exercise, covering all administration routes and focusing on exercise-induced oxidative stress.
2019 · Zhou — Micro/Nanomaterials-Augmented Hydrogen Therapy
Nanomedicine for hydrogen: H₂ works in oxidative-inflammatory diseases, but diffuses without direction and dissolves poorly in water.
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 · Noda et al. — Circulating messenger for neuroprotection induced by molecular hydrogen.
Drinking hydrogen-rich water does not only act while H₂ is present in the body — it can trigger lasting neuroprotection through an indirect hormonal mechanism involving ghrelin.
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.
2018 · Chen — Research progress of hydrogen-rich saline for eye diseases.
This Chinese-language review summarizes the published research on hydrogen-rich saline (and hydrogen-rich water) for the treatment of eye diseases, including glaucoma, retinal ischemia, and other ocular conditions.
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.
2017 · Iketani — Molecular Hydrogen as a Neuroprotective Agent
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) acts as an antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agent and shows potential in neurological disorders — from stroke through neurodegenerative diseases to brain damage in newborns.
2016 · Iida — The Clinical Application of Hydrogen as a Medical Treatment
This Japanese review surveys research on hydrogen-rich water and hydrogen gas as potential medical treatments, covering disease models such as ischaemia-reperfusion injury, and explores routes of H₂ administration (oral, intravenous, local) and the possible role of H₂ as an antioxidant signalling molecule.
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 · 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 · Wang — Introspection of oxidant/antioxidant imbalance in the inner ear
Free radicals play a central role in inner ear damage from noise, ototoxic drugs, and aging — but antioxidant therapy without knowledge of the specific oxidative stress type risks further harm.
2013 · Qian — Hydrogen as a new class of radioprotective agent
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) reduces radiation-induced oxidative damage by selectively neutralizing hydroxyl radicals — the main cause of ionizing radiation injury.
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 · Schönfeld — Why does brain metabolism not favor burning of fatty acids to provide energy? Reflections on disadvantages of the use of free fatty acids as fuel for brain
The brain almost exclusively uses glucose rather than fatty acids as fuel — this review explains why: fatty acid oxidation in neurons generates more oxidative stress, demands more oxygen, and produces ATP more slowly than glucose oxidation.
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 · Chuai — Molecular hydrogen and radiation protection
Hydrogen (H₂) as radiation protection: ionizing radiation damages cells mainly via the hydroxyl radical (•OH) — exactly the radical H₂ selectively scavenges.
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.
2012 · Nie et al. — Hydrogenase: the next antibiotic target?
Bacteria produce hydrogen gas (H₂) via enzymes called hydrogenases — and this review proposes that these enzymes, by generating H₂ which neutralizes bactericidal hydroxyl radicals, may actually help bacteria survive antibiotic treatment and evade immune defenses.
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.
2002 · Acuña Castroviejo et al. — Melatonin, mitochondrial homeostasis and mitochondrial-related diseases
This review covers melatonin's antioxidant role in protecting mitochondria from reactive oxygen species (ROS), and its potential relevance to neurodegenerative and neuromuscular diseases.
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 · Ogannisyan — Hydrogen-Rich Water Decreases Muscle Damage and Improves Power Endurance in Elite Athletes: A Randomized, Double-Blinded, Placebo-Controlled Trial
Hydrogen-rich water reduces muscle damage and boosts power performance in competitive female athletes.
2025 · Kuzmanovic — The effects of drinking hydrogen-rich water for six weeks on exercise-related biomarkers in exercise-naïve men and women over 50 years following resistance training program: a randomized controlled pilot trial
Hydrogen-rich water supports strength training from 50 on: In a randomized, double-blind pilot RCT (n = 27, age ~58 yrs), 6 weeks of H₂ water lowered markers of acute muscle damage significantly more than placebo, improved the blood lipid profile (total and LDL cholesterol ↓) and raised free testosterone (all p ≤ 0.05).
2025 · Khlifi — Pre-Exercise Ingestion of Hydrogen-Rich Cold Water Enhances Endurance Performance and Lactate Response in Heat
Hydrogen-rich cold water before exercise improves endurance performance in heat and dampens the lactate rise.
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 · Dong — Inhalation of Hydrogen-Rich Gas before Acute Exercise Alleviates Exercise Fatigue: A Randomized Crossover Study
Pre-exercise inhalation of hydrogen-rich gas (HRG) reduced subjective fatigue, improved cycling performance during the final phase of exhaustion trials, and lowered post-exercise lactate and oxidative stress markers in healthy men — compared to placebo air inhalation.
2023 · Deryugina — Molecular hydrogen exposure improves functional state of red blood cells in the early postoperative period: a randomized clinical study
Hydrogen inhalation during cardiac surgery with a heart-lung machine improves the state of red blood cells and the postoperative course.
2023 · Najmanová — Effect of Acute Hydrogen-Rich Water Intake on Intraocular Pressure in Healthy Subjects
Rapidly drinking 1260 ml of fluid raises intraocular pressure — and with hydrogen-rich water (HRW) it does so clinically relevantly more often than with placebo.
2022 · Botek — Hydrogen Rich Water Consumption Positively Affects Muscle Performance, Lactate Response, and Alleviates Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness After Resistance Training
Hydrogen-rich water improves muscle performance, lowers the lactate response and alleviates muscle soreness after resistance training.
2022 · Tao — A randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trial of hydrogen/oxygen inhalation for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Hydrogen/oxygen inhalation improves blood lipid and liver values in non-alcoholic fatty liver — and measurably lowers liver fat content in moderate-to-severe cases.
2022 · Alharbi — The Acute Effects of a Single Dose of Molecular Hydrogen Supplements on Responses to Ergogenic Adjustments during High-Intensity Intermittent Exercise in Humans
A single dose of molecular hydrogen before high-intensity interval training raises peak power and improves muscle oxygen supply.
2022 · Eda — Effects of Intestinal Bacterial Hydrogen Gas Production on Muscle Recovery following Intense Exercise in Adult Men: A Pilot Study
A drink that stimulates gut bacteria to produce hydrogen can reduce muscle soreness and oxidative stress after intense exercise.
2021 · Javorac — Hydrotherapy with hydrogen-rich water compared with RICE protocol following acute ankle sprain in professional athletes: a randomized non-inferiority pilot trial
Hydrogen-rich baths were just as effective as the gold-standard RICE procedure (rest, ice, compression, elevation) for acute ankle sprain in professional athletes.
2021 · Alharbi — Application of Molecular Hydrogen as an Antioxidant in Responses to Ventilatory and Ergogenic Adjustments during Incremental Exercise in Humans
H₂ supplementation altered ventilatory and acid-base status during incremental exercise.
2021 · Zanini — The effects of 6-month hydrogen-rich water intake on molecular and phenotypic biomarkers of aging in older adults aged 70 years and over: A randomized controlled pilot trial
6 months of hydrogen water (0.5 L/day, 15 ppm) in 40 people over 70 lengthened the telomeres (a marker of cell aging) and improved brain metabolism as well as leg strength (chair-stand test, P = 0.01) — while telomeres shortened in the control group.
2020 · Ishibashi — Peripheral endothelial function can be improved by daily consumption of water containing over 7 ppm of dissolved hydrogen: A randomized controlled trial
Highly concentrated hydrogen water (over 7 ppm) improves the endothelial function of the small arteries.
2020 · Sim — Hydrogen-rich water reduces inflammatory responses and prevents apoptosis of peripheral blood cells in healthy adults: a randomized, double-blind, controlled trial
Hydrogen-rich water dampens inflammatory responses and protects blood cells from cell death — in healthy adults.
2020 · Shibayama — Impact of hydrogen-rich gas mixture inhalation through nasal cannula during post-exercise recovery period on subsequent oxidative stress, muscle damage, and exercise performances in men
Inhaling hydrogen gas right after intense exercise lowered a DNA oxidation marker and protected jump strength from the exercise-induced drop. Other performance and blood markers, however, remained unchanged.
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.
2019 · Mikami — Drinking hydrogen water enhances endurance and relieves psychometric fatigue: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study
Hydrogen water shortly before exercise lowered the sensation of fatigue and increased endurance.
2018 · Nishimaki — Effects of Molecular Hydrogen Assessed by an Animal Model and a Randomized Clinical Study on Mild Cognitive Impairment
In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial with 73 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI), H₂-water did not improve overall cognitive scores — but a specific genetic subgroup (APOE4 carriers) showed significant improvement.
2017 · Ono et al. — Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Treatment in Acute Cerebral Infarction: A Randomized Controlled Clinical Study on Safety and Neuroprotection.
In this randomized controlled trial with 50 stroke patients, inhaling 3% H₂ gas twice daily for 7 days was safe and led to measurable improvements in MRI lesion intensity, stroke severity scores (NIHSS), and functional independence (Barthel Index).
2014 · Sakai et al. — Consumption of water containing over 3.5 mg of dissolved hydrogen could improve vascular endothelial function.
Drinking high-concentration hydrogen-rich water (7 ppm, 3.5 mg H₂ per 500 mL) significantly improved flow-mediated dilation (FMD) of the brachial artery compared to placebo.
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.
2013 · Xia et al. — Effect of hydrogen-rich water on oxidative stress, liver function, and viral load in patients with chronic hepatitis B.
In 60 patients with chronic hepatitis B, adding hydrogen-rich water (1,200–1,800 mL/day for 6 weeks) to routine antiviral treatment markedly reduced oxidative stress markers — while liver function and HBV DNA levels improved similarly in both groups.
2013 · Yoritaka et al. — Pilot study of H₂ therapy in Parkinson's disease: a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial.
In a 48-week double-blind, placebo-controlled pilot trial, 17 levodopa-medicated Parkinson's patients drinking 1,000 mL/day of H₂-rich water showed improved UPDRS motor scores on average, while the placebo group worsened — a statistically significant difference despite the small sample size.
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 · Kotenko et al. — Biochemical Markers of Stress in Medical Workers With Occupational Burnout Syndrome and Their Dynamics Under Physiotherapeutic Factors
In 175 healthcare professionals diagnosed with occupational burnout syndrome, various non-drug physiotherapy interventions — including hydrogen therapy — were tested in a randomised design.
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 · 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.
2024 · Pozdnyakova — Rehabilitation program of post-COVID-19 syndrome with the use of nitric oxide and molecular hydrogen
The combined inhalation of nitric oxide and hydrogen improved complaints in post-COVID syndrome.
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 · Mu — Hydrogen regulated pyroptosis through NLRP3-GSDMD pathway to improve airway mucosal oxidative stress injury induced by endotracheal tube cuff compression.
Endotracheal tube cuffs compress airway tissue during anaesthesia, triggering oxidative stress and a form of inflammatory cell death (pyroptosis) — and hydrogen inhalation or hydrogen-rich saline in the cuff significantly reduced this damage.
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.
2022 · Zhao — Effectiveness and safety of hydrogen inhalation as an adjunct treatment in Chinese type 2 diabetes patients: A retrospective, observational, double-arm, real-life clinical study
Hydrogen inhalation as an adjunct improved blood sugar control in type 2 diabetes. In a large real-life study (n = 1,088), over 6 months the H₂ group lowered long-term blood sugar HbA1c more (−0.94% vs.
2022 · Deryugina — Dynamics of Metabolic and Oxidative Parameters of Erythrocytes during Treatment of Chronic Heart Failure with Molecular Hydrogen.
In patients with chronic heart failure, inhaling 2% molecular hydrogen — either once or repeatedly over five days — improved red blood cell energy metabolism, reduced oxidative stress markers, and enhanced antioxidant enzyme activity.
2022 · Dong — Short-Term Consumption of Hydrogen-Rich Water Enhances Power Performance and Heart Rate Recovery in Dragon Boat Athletes
Seven days of hydrogen-rich water improved maximum power output and post-exercise heart rate recovery in competitive dragon boat athletes compared to placebo water.
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 · Hong — Effects of concomitant use of hydrogen water and photobiomodulation on Parkinson disease: A pilot study
H₂ water combined with photobiomodulation lowered Parkinson symptom scores — safely and without side effects.
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 · Danilova — Application of Molecular Hydrogen in Heart Surgery under Cardiopulmonary Bypass
During open-heart surgery on cardiopulmonary bypass, inhaling 1.5–2% hydrogen gas during anaesthesia reduced markers of lipid peroxidation (oxidative stress) compared to patients who did not receive H₂.
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.
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 · Asada et al. — Effects of hydrogen-rich water prepared by alternating-current-electrolysis on antioxidant activity, DNA oxidative injuries, and diabetes-related markers.
Hydrogen-rich water produced by alternating-current (AC) electrolysis — reaching nearly the theoretical maximum H₂ concentration of 1.55 mg/L — showed promising effects on blood glucose markers and systemic DNA oxidative damage in nine people with elevated diabetes-related serum markers over eight weeks.
2020 · Hori et al. — Inhalation of molecular hydrogen increases breath acetone excretion during submaximal exercise: a randomized, single-blinded, placebo-controlled study.
Inhaling 1 % H₂ gas during moderate-intensity cycling significantly increased breath acetone levels and oxygen uptake in ten healthy men — suggesting that H₂ promotes hepatic lipid metabolism during aerobic exercise.
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.
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 · Franceschelli — Modulation of the Oxidative Plasmatic State in Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease with the Addition of Hydrogen-Rich Water: A New Biological Vision
In 84 patients with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), adding electrolyzed reduced water rich in molecular hydrogen to standard proton pump inhibitor therapy significantly improved both oxidative stress markers and GERD-related quality of life versus PPI alone.
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 · Tamasawa et al. — Hydrogen gas production is associated with reduced interleukin-1β mRNA in peripheral blood after a single dose of acarbose in Japanese type 2 diabetic patients.
In 16 type 2 diabetic patients, a single dose of the glucose-lowering drug acarbose did not significantly increase breath H₂ compared to no treatment — but the individual change in H₂ production was inversely associated with the change in blood IL-1β mRNA, suggesting a link between gut-produced H₂ and anti-inflammatory signaling.
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.
2013 · Shimouchi et al. — Molecular hydrogen consumption in the human body during the inhalation of hydrogen gas.
Using a gas chromatography method, this study measured the rate at which the human body consumes inhaled H₂ gas and confirmed a consumption rate of approximately 0.7 µmol/min/m² body surface area — closely matching prior data from H₂-rich water ingestion.
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.
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.
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).
1988 · Neale — Dietary Fibre and Health: The Role of Hydrogen Production
A hypothesis paper proposing that molecular hydrogen, produced in large amounts during gut fermentation of dietary fibre, may be a key mediator of fibre's protective health effects — acting as a natural antioxidant against damaging free radicals in body tissues.
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 · 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 · Němec — The Far Side of Carboranes: Anticancer Active Monocations and Ambiently Stable Dications
Polyhedral carboranes — a class of boron-carbon cage molecules — are biologically stable and normally non-toxic; this in-vitro study shows that positively charged (cationic) carborane variants can display significant anticancer activity against human cancer cell lines, surpassing doxorubicin and cisplatin in potency.
2026 · Kiyoi — Transcriptome-Based Evaluation of Hydrogen Gas Effects for Preventing UVA-Induced Photoaging Using an Artificial Skin Model
Hydrogen gas inhalation may protect skin against UV-A induced photoaging — not just by scavenging free radicals, but by modulating specific gene expression pathways including NRF2-mediated antioxidant defence and the p53-mediated senescence pathway.
2026 · Li — MXene-Engineered MgB₂ Nanoprodrugs with Acid-Responsive Hydrogen Evolution for Cooperative Photothermal Cancer Ablation
Researchers engineered a nanoparticle system (MgB₂-Ti₃C₂Tₓ@PEG) that releases hydrogen gas specifically within the acidic tumor microenvironment and simultaneously converts near-infrared laser light into heat — combining hydrogen gas therapy with photothermal tumor ablation.
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 · 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 · Seya — Hydrogen-rich Gas Enhances Mitochondrial Membrane Potential and Respiratory Function Recovery in Caco-2 Cells Post-ischemia-reperfusion Injury
Hydrogen-rich gas restored mitochondrial function in human intestinal cells (Caco-2) after simulated ischemia-reperfusion injury, improving ATP production, mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxygen consumption while reducing cell death signals.
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 · Zhang — Hydrogen attenuates the senescence of adipose-derived stem cells and enhances their myogenic differentiation via modulation of the PRDX6/SIRT1/PGC-1α signaling pathway.
Stem cells derived from fat tissue age over time, limiting their potential for regenerative therapies — and hydrogen gas treatment can slow this ageing while simultaneously improving the cells' ability to differentiate into muscle tissue.
2025 · Li — Hydrogen promoted mitochondrial autophagy and alleviated CIH-induced vascular endothelial cell senescence by regulating oxidative stress.
Obstructive sleep apnoea (OSA) causes repeated oxygen deficits that accelerate ageing of the blood vessel lining — and molecular hydrogen (H₂) can protect vascular endothelial cells against this premature ageing by activating cellular clean-up processes (autophagy) and reducing oxidative stress.
2025 · Qiu — 3D printing combined with pH-induced 4D printed iron(III)-oxidized starch gels for controlled iron delivery and enhanced iron supplementation.
Iron deficiency anaemia can be treated more effectively with a new type of 3D-/4D-printed starch gel that releases iron only in the small intestine, not in the stomach — improving bioavailability while reducing side effects.
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 · Chen — A Sustained H₂/Fluorouracil-Releasing Suppository for High-efficacy and Low-Toxicity Hydrogenochemotherapy of Colon Cancer.
Combining hydrogen gas with the standard chemotherapy drug 5-fluorouracil in a rectal suppository achieved complete tumour eradication in a mouse colon-cancer model — while simultaneously protecting the intestinal tissue from chemotherapy-induced damage.
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 · 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.
2025 · Hu — Hydrogen-Generating Magnesium Alloy Seed Strand Sensitizes Solid Tumors to Iodine-125 Brachytherapy.
An AZ31 magnesium-alloy brachytherapy seed strand (AMASS) implanted directly into tumours releases hydrogen gas alongside radioactive iodine-125 radiation, significantly enhancing tumour cell killing compared to radiation alone.
2025 · Jiang — Engineering probiotic biohydrogen micro-factories to initiate reductive stress for boosting tumor vulnerability.
Probiotic bacteria (Enterobacter aerogenes) engineered into gel-based microcapsules produced continuous hydrogen inside tumours, inducing a state of „reductive stress“ — the opposite of oxidative stress — that disrupted cancer-cell metabolism and suppressed tumour growth.
2025 · Ji — Mitochondrial 'Birth-Death' Coordinator: An Intelligent Hydrogen Nanogenerator to Enhance Intervertebral Disc Regeneration
Researchers developed a smart nanoparticle (Fe@HP-OD) that releases molecular hydrogen (H₂) precisely inside degenerated intervertebral discs (IVDs) in response to the local microenvironment.
2025 · Wang — Effect of hydrogen-rich saline on melanopsin after acute blue light-induced retinal damage in rats
Hydrogen protects the retina from blue light: In rats with blue-light-induced retinal damage, hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) accelerated recovery — with markedly more melanopsin and more functional light-sensitive ganglion cells within two weeks.
2025 · An — Hydrogen activates ACOD1-itaconate pathway to ameliorate steroid-associated osteonecrosis
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) protects bone from cortisone damage: In the mouse model of steroid-induced bone necrosis, H₂ reduced the death of bone cells, improved bone structure and blood perfusion — via activation of the anti-inflammatory ACOD1-itaconate metabolic pathway.
2024 · Li — Modulating the Electronic Structure of MnNi₂S₃ Nanoelectrodes to Activate Pyroptosis for Electrocatalytic Hydrogen-Immunotherapy.
Specially engineered nanoelectrodes deliver molecular hydrogen directly to tumor cells via electrolysis, triggering a cell-death pathway called pyroptosis that also activates the immune system to fight cancer.
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 · Chen — Hydrogen-rich water alleviates constipation by attenuating oxidative stress through the sirtuin1/nuclear factor-erythroid-2-related factor 2/heme oxygenase-1 signaling pathway.
In constipated rats, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) improved stool output, intestinal motility, and gut microbiota composition by reducing oxidative stress through a specific protective signalling pathway.
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 — High-concentration hydrogen inhalation mitigates sepsis-associated encephalopathy in mice by improving mitochondrial dynamics
Inhaling high-concentration hydrogen (67%) improved the 7-day survival rate and recognition memory in septic mice — through protection of the mitochondria (the power plants of nerve cells) and less inflammation.
2024 · Wang — Natural hydrogen gas and engineered microalgae prevent acute lung injury in sepsis
Inhaled hydrogen gas protects the lung in sepsis — and a novel nanosystem of H₂-releasing particles plus microalgae (DQB@C) amplifies this protection in a mouse model by curbing inflammation, oxidative stress and „ferroptosis“ (iron-dependent cell death).
2023 · Makav — The effect of hydrogen-rich water on letrozole-induced polycystic ovary syndrome in rats
In a rat model of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), drinking hydrogen-rich water significantly reduced cyst numbers, lowered oxidative stress markers (MDA, cortisol, testosterone), and increased the antioxidant glutathione.
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 · Kiyoi — Intermittent environmental exposure to hydrogen prevents skin photoaging through reduction of oxidative stress
In a mouse model, nightly exposure to 1.3 % hydrogen gas for 6 weeks reduced UVA-induced skin aging: fewer senescent cells, less epidermal thickening, reduced melanogenesis, and less collagen degradation in the dermis.
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 · Antonenko — Biological Activity of Novel Organotin Compounds with a Schiff Base Containing an Antioxidant Fragment
Researchers synthesised five new organotin(IV) complexes containing an antioxidant Schiff-base ligand and tested them for antioxidant activity and anti-cancer cell proliferation in vitro.
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 · Guo — Hydrogen suppresses oxidative stress by inhibiting the p38 MAPK signaling pathway in preeclampsia
In a rat model of preeclampsia, hydrogen-rich saline significantly reduced inflammation markers, oxidative stress, and blood pressure-related damage — and the protective effect appears to work via inhibiting the p38 MAPK signaling pathway.
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.
2023 · Videhult Pierre — Hydrogen Gas Inhalation Attenuates Acute Impulse Noise Trauma: A Preclinical In Vivo Study
In guinea pigs subjected to extremely loud impulse noise (156 dB), inhaling 2% H₂ immediately afterwards significantly reduced hearing threshold shifts and inner ear hair cell loss compared to noise-only controls.
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 · Yang — Magnesium galvanic cells produce hydrogen and modulate the tumor microenvironment to inhibit cancer growth
Researchers implanted a magnesium-platinum galvanic rod directly into tumors in animal models; the resulting continuous hydrogen production suppressed tumor growth by disrupting mitochondrial function and neutralizing the acidic tumor environment.
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 · An — Gender-based differences in neuroprotective effects of hydrogen gas against intracerebral hemorrhage-induced depression
In a mouse model of intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), hydrogen gas inhalation provided stronger neuroprotective effects against post-stroke depression in female mice than in males — and adding estrogen to male mice restored comparable H₂ efficacy.
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.
2022 · Mizutani — Hydrogen-rich water reduced oxidative stress and renal fibrosis in rats with unilateral ureteral obstruction.
In a rat model of obstructive kidney injury, drinking hydrogen-rich water (HRW) for two weeks after surgery significantly reduced interstitial fibrosis and oxidative stress markers in the affected kidney.
2021 · Marzullo et al. — Ammonium Formate-Pd/C as a New Reducing System for 1,2,4-Oxadiazoles: Synthesis of Guanidine Derivatives and Reductive Rearrangement to Quinazolin-4-Ones with Potential Anti-Diabetic Activity
This is an organic chemistry study describing a new laboratory synthesis method for heterocyclic compounds with potential anti-diabetic activity.
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 · Chu — Mechanism of hydrogen on cervical cancer suppression revealed by high-throughput RNA sequencing
H₂ inhalation suppressed the growth of cervical cancer cells in the laboratory and in a mouse xenograft model, apparently by switching off two key cancer-promoting proteins — HIF-1α and NF-κB p65.
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 · Kato — Carcinostatic effects of alkanoyl ascorbate plus platinum nano-colloid and stabilization of the esterolytically resultant ascorbate by hydrogen
This in-vitro chemistry study found that a combination of a fatty-acid ascorbate ester (Asc6Palm) plus platinum nanoparticles suppressed human oesophageal cancer cell viability.
2021 · Gopi — Cobalt-modified 2D porous organic polymer for highly efficient electrocatalytic removal of toxic urea and nitrophenol
This electrochemistry study developed a cobalt-doped porous organic polymer that can efficiently catalyse the oxidation of urea and reduction of 4-nitrophenol from wastewater.
2021 · Li et al. — Hydrogen-rich water attenuates the radiotoxicity induced by tritium exposure in vitro and in vivo
Hydrogen-rich water (HRW) reduces radioactive damage caused by tritiated water (HTO) — both in cultured human blood cells and in mice.
2020 · Kwon — Antioxidant Activity of Hydrogen Water Mask Pack Composed of Gel-Type Emulsion and Hydrogen Generation Powder
A cosmetic mask pack containing zinc carbonate-derived hydrogen-generating powder was tested in vitro for antioxidant activity and in a small clinical pilot for skin density effects.
2020 · Sun — Photoactivated H₂ Nanogenerator for Enhanced Chemotherapy of Bladder Cancer
Researchers designed nanoparticles that generate H₂ gas inside cancer cells when activated by a 660 nm laser, finding in cell culture and mouse models that H₂ produced in this way significantly enhanced the efficacy of the chemotherapy drug gemcitabine against bladder cancer.
2020 · Li — Hydrogen Water Alleviates Paraquat-induced Lung Fibroblast Injury In Vitro by Enhancing Nrf2 Expression
In human lung fibroblasts exposed to the herbicide paraquat, hydrogen-rich water treatment reduced cell damage markers and inhibited fibrosis-related collagen production — an effect that worked through upregulation of the antioxidant transcription factor Nrf2.
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 · Lu — Molecular hydrogen regulates PTEN-AKT-mTOR signaling via ROS to alleviate peritoneal dialysis-related peritoneal fibrosis.
In mice treated with high-glucose dialysate to induce peritoneal fibrosis, and in MeT-5A mesothelial cells in culture, hydrogen-rich peritoneal dialysate inhibited fibrosis by eliminating intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) and suppressing the PTEN/AKT/mTOR signalling pathway.
2020 · Ishihara — Molecular hydrogen suppresses superoxide generation in the mitochondrial complex I and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential.
In isolated mitochondria and cultured cells, molecular hydrogen altered the direction of electron flow at complex I, suppressed superoxide generation by 51 %, and reduced mitochondrial membrane potential by 11 %.
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.
2019 · Li et al. — Effect of hydrogen-rich water on the Nrf2/ARE signaling pathway in rats with myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury.
In isolated rat hearts, drinking hydrogen-rich water before and during ischemia-reperfusion dramatically boosted the heart's own antioxidant defences — activating the Nrf2/ARE signalling pathway, increasing protective enzymes (NQO1, HO-1, SOD-1), and reducing oxidative damage (MDA).
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 · Iuchi — Molecular Hydrogen Suppresses Free-Radical-Induced Cell Death by Mitigating Fatty Acid Peroxidation and Mitochondrial Dysfunction
In human leukemia cells exposed to the oxidative stressor tert-butyl hydroperoxide, molecular hydrogen (H₂) reduced fatty acid peroxidation, preserved mitochondrial function, and prevented cell death.
2019 · Kröninger — Energy Conservation in the Gut Microbe Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis Is Based on Membrane-Bound Ferredoxin Oxidation Coupled to Heterodisulfide Reduction
This in-vitro biochemistry study investigates how the gut-derived methanogenic archaeon Methanomassiliicoccus luminyensis generates cellular energy — using molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a reductant to form methane from methylamines.
2019 · Yamasaki — Effects of hydrogen-rich water in a rat model of polycystic kidney disease.
In PCK rats — a rodent model of polycystic kidney disease — drinking hydrogen-rich water did not significantly reduce cyst growth compared to plain water when consumed in equivalent volumes.
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 · 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 · 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.
2019 · Guan — Hydrogen gas reduces chronic intermittent hypoxia-induced hypertension by inhibiting sympathetic nerve activity and increasing vasodilator responses via antioxidation.
In rats subjected to chronic intermittent hypoxia (CIH) — a model of sleep-apnoea-related hypertension — daily H₂ gas inhalation significantly attenuated the rise in blood pressure.
2018 · Begum — Molecular hydrogen may enhance the production of testosterone hormone in male infertility through hormone signal modulation and redox balance
This is a theoretical hypothesis paper proposing that molecular hydrogen (H₂) might improve testosterone production in male infertility by reducing oxidative stress and modulating intracellular signalling pathways.
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 · Yuan — Hydrogen-rich water attenuates oxidative stress in rats with traumatic brain injury via Nrf2 pathway
In a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI), hydrogen-rich water significantly improved survival, reduced neurological deficits, and lowered oxidative stress markers.
2018 · Jiang — Therapeutic efficacy of hydrogen-rich saline alone and in combination with PI3K inhibitor in non-small cell lung cancer
In cultured human lung cancer cells (A549 line), hydrogen-rich saline reduced proliferation and promoted apoptosis; combining it with the PI3K inhibitor LY294002 enhanced these effects further by suppressing the PI3K/Akt signalling pathway.
2018 · Zhou — Protective effects of hydrogen-rich medium on lipopolysaccharide-induced injury in human periodontal ligament cells
In cultured human periodontal ligament cells (hPDLCs) exposed to lipopolysaccharide (LPS) to simulate bacterial inflammation, hydrogen-rich medium improved cell proliferation, reduced apoptosis, and lowered oxidative stress markers.
2018 · Zhang — Hydrogen ameliorates oxidative stress via PI3K-Akt signalling pathway in UVB-induced HaCaT cells
In human keratinocyte cells (HaCaT line) irradiated with UVB, hydrogen treatment reduced reactive oxygen species and oxidative damage markers while activating the PI3K/Akt/Nrf2/HO-1 protective cascade.
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 · Murakami — Molecular hydrogen protects against oxidative stress-induced SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cell death through the process of mitohormesis
In cultured human neuroblastoma cells, both H₂ gas and hydrogen-rich water boosted mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP levels while triggering a mild oxidative signal that activated Nrf2-pathway antioxidant enzymes — a hormetic response the authors call „mitohormesis“.
2017 · Li — Protective Effects of Molecular Hydrogen on Steroid-Induced Osteonecrosis in Rabbits via Reducing Oxidative Stress and Apoptosis
In rabbits given high-dose steroids, treatment with molecular hydrogen (injected intraperitoneally) reduced the incidence of bone death (osteonecrosis) from 68% to 29% by suppressing oxidative damage, vascular injury, and cell death (apoptosis).
2017 · Kim — Inhibition of Streptococcal Biofilm by Hydrogen Water
Electrolyzed hydrogen-rich water significantly inhibited streptococcal biofilm formation in laboratory cultures, reduced the expression of key biofilm-related genes, and — in a small oral-rinse trial — reduced the number of salivary streptococci compared with tap water.
2017 · Han — Hydrogen Treatment Protects against Cell Death and Senescence Induced by Oxidative Damage
In mouse embryonic fibroblast cell cultures, nanoparticle hydrogen water suppressed hydroxyurea-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, reduced signs of cellular ageing (β-galactosidase accumulation), and promoted cell proliferation.
2016 · Qin — Hydrogen-Rich Saline as an Innovative Therapy for Cataract: A Hypothesis
This paper proposes a theoretical rationale for using molecular hydrogen as an antioxidant to protect against cataract formation — based on H₂'s known ability to selectively neutralise damaging reactive oxygen species (ROS).
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 · 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 · Wolf — H₂ metabolism is widespread and diverse among human colonic microbes
A large-scale genomic and metagenomic analysis shows that 70% of microbial species in the human colon encode genes for metabolising molecular hydrogen (H₂), and that electron-bifurcating fermentation — rather than respiratory H₂ oxidation — is the dominant mechanism of H₂ recycling in the gut.
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 · Iuchi — Molecular Hydrogen Regulates Gene Expression by Modifying the Free Radical Chain Reaction-Dependent Generation of Oxidized Phospholipid Mediators
Molecular hydrogen (H₂) may regulate gene expression not by directly targeting DNA or transcription factors, but by modifying how oxidized phospholipids are produced through free radical chain reactions.
2016 · Du — Hydrogen-Rich Saline Attenuates Acute Kidney Injury After Liver Transplantation via Activating p53-Mediated Autophagy
In rats undergoing liver transplantation, hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) protected the kidneys from acute injury by reducing oxidative damage and cell death, with p53-mediated autophagy as a key mechanism.
2016 · Zhang — Treatment with Hydrogen-Rich Saline Delays Disease Progression in a Mouse Model of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
In a transgenic mouse model of ALS, hydrogen-rich saline (HRS) significantly delayed disease onset, prolonged survival, and protected motor neurons from oxidative damage and mitochondrial dysfunction.
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.
2016 · Mohamed — Antioxidants and K⁺ Channel Agonists versus Hydrogen Therapy during Ex Vivo Lung Perfusion
This study compared different protective strategies — antioxidants, potassium channel agonists, and hydrogen therapy — applied during ex-vivo lung perfusion (EVLP), a technique used to preserve and assess donor lungs before transplantation.
2015 · Lin et al. — Hydrogen-rich water attenuates amyloid β-induced cytotoxicity through upregulation of Sirt1-FoxO3a by stimulation of AMP-activated protein kinase in SK-N-MC cells.
In neuronal cell culture, hydrogen-rich water (HRW) protected cells against amyloid beta (Aβ) — the peptide linked to Alzheimer's disease — both by directly neutralizing reactive oxygen species and by activating a protective cell-signaling cascade (AMPK → Sirt1 → FoxO3a).
2015 · Song et al. — Molecular hydrogen stabilizes atherosclerotic plaque in low-density lipoprotein receptor-knockout mice.
In atherosclerosis-prone mice, molecular hydrogen stabilized vulnerable plaque — increasing collagen content, reducing macrophage infiltration, and suppressing the endoplasmic reticulum stress and oxidative damage that drive plaque rupture.
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 · Ostojic — Eumelanin-driven production of molecular hydrogen: A novel element of skin defense?
This theoretical hypothesis paper proposes that eumelanin — the dark pigment in skin and hair — may produce endogenous molecular hydrogen (H₂) and that this capacity could represent a previously overlooked mechanism of skin protection against oxidative stress.
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.
2015 · Guan et al. — Effects of vitamin C, vitamin E, and molecular hydrogen on the placental function in trophoblast cells.
In cultured trophoblast cell lines, high doses of vitamins C and E reduced cell viability and increased the pro-inflammatory cytokine TNF-α — whereas molecular hydrogen (H₂) at equivalent concentrations did neither, suggesting a more favourable safety profile for H₂ as an antioxidant in placental biology.
2014 · Brenner — Parkinson's disease may be due to failure of melanin in the Substantia Nigra to produce molecular hydrogen from dissociation of water.
This is a speculative theoretical paper proposing that melanin in the brain's Substantia Nigra normally splits water into molecular hydrogen and oxygen — and that the loss of this capacity may underlie Parkinson's disease.
2014 · Mano et al. — Maternal molecular hydrogen administration ameliorates rat fetal hippocampal damage caused by in utero ischemia-reperfusion.
In this rat study, pregnant mothers that drank hydrogen-saturated water passed measurable H₂ to the placenta, which protected fetal hippocampal neurons from ischemia-reperfusion injury — and improved the learning and memory of the offspring at 8 weeks of age.
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 · Yang et al. — Molecular hydrogen protects human lymphocyte AHH-1 cells against 12C6+ heavy ion radiation.
In a cell culture experiment, molecular hydrogen (H₂) reduced reactive oxygen species (ROS), attenuated apoptosis, and alleviated cell cycle arrest in human lymphocyte cells exposed to heavy-ion radiation — a type of ionising radiation used in cancer radiotherapy and relevant to space travel.
2012 · Takeuchi et al. — Hydrogen may inhibit collagen-induced platelet aggregation: an ex vivo and in vivo study.
In this mixed-design study — combining human ex vivo blood tests and rat in vivo experiments — molecular hydrogen (via H₂ saline or H₂ inhalation) significantly inhibited collagen-induced platelet aggregation.
2012 · Qian et al. — Hydrogen therapy may be an effective and specific novel treatment for aplastic anemia.
Aplastic anemia is a severe bone marrow failure disease with high mortality — and oxidative stress and inflammatory cytokines like TNF-α and IL-6 play a central role in its development.
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.
2012 · Kato et al. — Hydrogen-rich electrolyzed warm water represses wrinkle formation against UVA ray together with type-I collagen production and oxidative-stress diminishment in fibroblasts and cell-injury prevention in keratinocytes.
UVA radiation from sunlight damages skin cells, promotes wrinkle formation, and reduces collagen production — primarily via oxidative stress from reactive oxygen species.
2011 · Terasaki — Hydrogen Therapy Attenuates Irradiation-Induced Lung Damage by Reducing Oxidative Stress
In irradiated human lung cells and in mice given whole-thorax irradiation, molecular hydrogen (H₂) — delivered as H₂-rich PBS, H₂-enriched drinking water, or 3% H₂ inhalation — significantly reduced oxidative stress markers, apoptosis, and lung fibrosis.
2011 · Yu — Hydrogen-Rich Medium Protects Human Skin Fibroblasts from High Glucose or Mannitol Induced Oxidative Damage
In human skin fibroblasts stressed with high glucose or mannitol — models of diabetic oxidative stress — a hydrogen-rich culture medium significantly reduced intracellular superoxide, stabilised mitochondrial membrane potential, and lowered markers of DNA and protein oxidation damage.
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 · Qian — The hypothesis of an effective safe and novel radioprotective agent: hydrogen-rich solution.
This theory paper proposes that hydrogen-rich saline could serve as a safe radioprotective agent — protecting cells from ionising radiation damage by selectively scavenging hydroxyl radicals.
2010 · Asada — Antitumor effects of nano-bubble hydrogen-dissolved water are enhanced by coexistent platinum colloid and the combined hyperthermia with apoptosis-like cell death.
This laboratory (in-vitro/animal) study tested whether hydrogen-dissolved water — especially in combination with platinum colloid and mild heat (42 °C) — could inhibit the growth of tumour cells.
2010 · Liu — Oral administration of mannitol may be an effective treatment for ischemia-reperfusion injury.
This hypothesis paper proposes that oral mannitol — a sugar alcohol that promotes bacterial hydrogen gas production in the colon — could protect organs from ischaemia-reperfusion injury by raising endogenous H₂ levels.
2010 · Kawasaki — Hydrogen gas treatment prolongs replicative lifespan of bone marrow multipotential stromal cells in vitro while preserving differentiation and paracrine potentials.
This in-vitro study found that exposing mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) to 3 % hydrogen gas during laboratory expansion significantly prolonged their replicative lifespan and preserved their ability to differentiate and secrete therapeutic factors.
2010 · Liu — Hydrogen therapy may be an effective and specific novel treatment for acute radiation syndrome.
This hypothesis paper proposes that inhaled molecular hydrogen (H₂) could be an effective treatment for acute radiation syndrome (ARS) — the life-threatening condition caused by high-dose whole-body irradiation.
2009 · Suzuki — Are the effects of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors on cardiovascular events related to elevated levels of hydrogen gas in the gastrointestinal tract?
This theoretical paper proposes that the cardiovascular benefits of alpha-glucosidase inhibitors (such as acarbose) may partly be explained by increased H₂ production in the gut.
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).
2009 · Tsai — Enhanced induction of mitochondrial damage and apoptosis in human leukemia HL-60 cells due to electrolyzed-reduced water and glutathione.
This in-vitro study found that electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) combined with glutathione (GSH) enhanced apoptosis in human leukemia (HL-60) cells, while showing no cytotoxic effect in normal blood cells.
2008 · Benchimol — The hydrogenosome as a drug target.
This in-vitro review/study describes hydrogenosomes — organelles found in certain parasitic microorganisms (such as Trichomonas) that produce molecular hydrogen — as potential drug targets for anti-parasitic therapies.
2008 · Ye — Inhibitory effect of electrolyzed reduced water on tumor angiogenesis.
This in-vitro study found that electrolyzed reduced water (ERW) reduced VEGF (vascular endothelial growth factor) gene expression and protein secretion in a human lung adenocarcinoma cell line, and inhibited in vitro formation of vascular tubules.
2007 · Ohsawa — Hydrogen acts as a therapeutic antioxidant by selectively reducing cytotoxic oxygen radicals
Hydrogen (H₂) acts as a selective antioxidant: it specifically neutralizes the most aggressive free radical — the hydroxyl radical (•OH) — while leaving the beneficial, signaling oxygen species untouched.
2006 · Lee et al. — Electrolyzed-reduced water protects against oxidative damage to DNA, RNA, and protein
Electrolyzed-reduced water (ERW) — which contains dissolved H₂ — significantly reduced H₂O₂-induced DNA strand breaks in human lymphocytes in the test tube, and also protected RNA and proteins from oxidative damage.
2002 · Happe — Hydrogenases in green algae: do they save the algae's life and solve our energy problems?
Green algae are the only known eukaryotes capable of both photosynthesis and hydrogen metabolism — a dual ability that may hold the key to sustainable H₂ production.
1994 · McGown — Regeneration of Functional Hemoglobin from Partially Oxidized Hemoglobin in the Presence of Molecular Hydrogen and a Multicomponent Redox Catalyst
This in-vitro study demonstrated that molecular hydrogen (H₂) can reduce partially oxidized (met-)hemoglobin back to functional hemoglobin when a multicomponent redox catalyst is present — a proof-of-concept for H₂ as a biochemical reducing agent.