Hydrogen Gas from Inflammation Treatment to Cancer Therapy

Hydrogen (H2) therapy is a highly promising strategy against several diseases due to its inherent biosafety. However, the current H2 treatment modalities rely predominantly on the systemic administration of the gas, resulting in poor targeting and utilization. Furthermore, although H2 has significant anti-tumor effects, the underlying mechanisms have not yet been elucidated. Due to their ultrasmall size, nanomaterials are highly suitable drug-delivery systems with a myriad of biomedical applications. Nanocarrier-mediated H2 delivery, as well as in situ production of H2 by nanogenerators, can significantly improve targeted accumulation of the gas and accelerate the therapeutic effects. In addition, nanomaterials can be further modified to enhance passive or active accumulation at the target site. In this Perspective, we summarize the mechanism of H2 therapy and describe possibilities for combining H2 therapy with nanomaterials. We also discuss the current challenges of H2 therapy and provide some insights into this burgeoning field.