More Science on Hydrogen and Cancer

Scientists have also found that molecular hydrogen caused growth inhibition of human tongue carcinoma cells HSC-4 and human fibrosarcoma cells HT-1080 but did not compromise growth of normal human tongue epithelial-like cells DOK. Hydrogen has also been shown to protect BALB/c mice from developing radiation-induced thymic lymphoma. The elimination of radical oxygen species by hydrogen should reduce a probability of introducing somatic mutations.”[1] 

H2 has been shown to reduce the excessive expressions of MMP genes (MMP proteins are involved in multiple functions in cells, including cell proliferation, cartilage synthesis, apoptosis, angiogenesis, etc.). We know that cancerous cells have a higher expression of MMP genes leading to tumor invasion and tumor angiogenesis. H2 has been shown to reduce tumor invasion and tumor growth. Because of this effect, H2 has been shown to have anti-tumor effects.[2],[3]

“ERW [hydrogen water] causes telomere shortening in cancer cells and suppresses tumor angiogenesis by scavenging intracellular ROS and suppressing the gene expression and secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor. In addition, ERW induces apoptosis together with glutathione in human leukemia HL60 cells (Tsai et al. 2009ab).”[4] 

“Treatment with H2 water increased the expression of p-AMPK, AIF and Caspase 3 (cell apoptosis pathways) in colon 26 cells. Thus, H2 water resulted in cell apoptosis mediated by the AMPK pathway in colon 26 cells”.[5]

Molecular hydrogen may protect and retard the development of thymic lymphoma in mice. “The radiation-induced thymic lymphoma rate in the H2 (+) group was significantly lower than in the control group and H2 treatment significantly increased the latency of lymphoma development after the split-dose irradiation. These data indicated that H2 protects mice from radiation-induced thymic lymphoma in BALB/c mice.”[6]

“Molecular hydrogen caused growth inhibition of human tongue carcinoma cells HSC-4 (cancerous) and human fibrosarcoma cells HT-1080 (cancerous) but did not compromise growth of normal human tongue epithelial-like cells DOK.”[7] The Molecular Hydrogen Foundation provides more hydrogen and cancer studies.

Higher levels of hydrogen have been shown to protect DNA against oxidative damage by suppressing single-strand breakage of DNA caused by ROS, and to protect against oxidative damage to RNA and proteins.[8]

[1] Oxid Med Cell Longev. 2012; 2012: 353152. Molecular Hydrogen as an Emerging Therapeutic Medical Gas for Neurodegenerative and Other Diseases

[2] Med Gas Res. 2011; 1: 18. Molecular hydrogen protects chondrocytes from oxidative stress and indirectly alters gene expressions through reducing peroxynitrite derived from nitric oxide

[3] Expression of Metalloproteinases MMP-2 and MMP-9 in Sentinel Lymph Node and Serum of Patients with Metastatic and Non-Metastatic Breast Cancer

[4] Cytotechnology. 2012 May; 64(3): 357–371. Suppressive effects of electrochemically reduced water on matrix metalloproteinase-2 activities and in vitro invasion of human fibrosarcoma HT1080 cells

[5] PeerJ. 2015; 3: e859. Hydrogen–water enhances 5-fluorouracil-induced inhibition of colon cancer

[6] Int J Biol Sci. 2011; 7(3): 297–300. Hydrogen Protects Mice from Radiation Induced Thymic Lymphoma in BALB/c Mice

[7] Saitoh Y, Okayasu H, Xiao L, Harata Y, Miwa N. Neutral pH hydrogen-enriched electrolyzed water achieves tumor-preferential clonal growth inhibition over normal cells and tumor invasion inhibition concurrently with intracellular oxidant repression. Oncology Research. 2008;17(6):247–255. [PubMed]

[8] M. Lee, Y. Kim, K. Ryoo, Y. Lee and E. Park, “Electrolyzed-reduced (Hydrogen Rich) Water Protects against Oxidative Damage to DNA, RNA and Protein,” Appl Biochem Biotechnol, pp. 135(2):133-44, 2006.