Have you ever wondered if breathing could enhance your health, especially relating to the mitochondrial function?
It’s no secret…
Your cells NEED oxygen within the mitochondrial membrane potential, particularly the efficacy of our mitochondria.
However, a recent clinical study has unraveled promising results about using hydrogen, more specifically hydrogen gas, to potentially reactivate exhausted immune cells.
The effect of hydrogen may be the key to rejuvenating these cells.
Essential Insights
- Hydrogen gas has the potential to reactivate disabled T cells by enhancing mitochondrial function, thus relieving oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction.
- The balance between PD-1+ (exhausted) and PD-1− (active) CD8+ T cells is instrumental in predicting patient prognosis, particularly related to mitochondrial disease where the regulation of mitochondrial biogenesis plays a vital role.
- Inhaling hydrogen gas reduced the proportion of exhausted T cells, bolstering the number of active T cells. This activation indicates the protective effects of hydrogen gas inhalation and how hydrogen may improve the mitochondrial respiratory chain.
The Heart Of The Matter
Our immune system is our body’s natural defense against mitochondrial stress.
But when our CD8+ T cells are exhausted, our health is compromised, often due to reduced mitochondrial respiration. This is where the potential of hydrogen gas comes in, as suggested by the study.
Researchers analyzed the impact of hydrogen gas, and more specifically, the effect of molecular hydrogen, on CD8+ T cells among patients, revealing how it can activate PGC-1α – a key to mitochondrial revival and regulation of mitochondrial DNA.
They found a decrease in exhausted CD8+ T cells and an increase in active variants with hydrogen inhalation, correlating with improved mitochondrial electron transport chain and longer progression-free survival and overall survival times.
Takeaways
Don’t be surprised if you hear about health practitioners and researchers exploring the use of hydrogen gas therapy in the near future as a treatment protocols where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a role.
In fact, imagine a future where a simple and non-invasive treatment (such as breathing hydrogen gas) could significantly enhance the quality of life for individuals with chronic health struggles.
Hydrogen acts as a therapeutic, leading to increased mitochondrial respiration and reduced mitochondrial ROS (reactive oxygen species).
Have you or someone you know been impacted by chronic health issues? Share your experience.
Conclusion
Hydrogen gas, particularly its molecular form, has shown a remarkable ability to rejuvenate exhausted immune cells, potentially transforming the prognosis for patients with advanced illnesses. Hydrogen alleviates the symptoms of damaged mitochondria, and its role in boosting mitochondrial biogenesis and the mitochondrial complex is significant.
Increased awareness about this breath of innovation – the effects of hydrogen gas, might just hold the key to optimal health as we continue to uncover the therapeutic treasures hiding out in the open in the form of molecular hydrogen.
References:
Authors: Junji Akagi and Hideo Baba
Source: Spandidos Publications
Image: Image is credited to Vital Reaction
Original research: Open source
Abstract
Exhausted cluster of differentiation (CD)8+ T cells lose immunological activity due to mitochondrial dysfunction caused by peroxisome proliferator‑activated receptor γ coactivator 1α (PGC‑1α) inactivation, resulting in a poor prognosis in patients with cancer. As hydrogen gas was recently reported to activate PGC‑1α, the present study investigated whether it restores exhausted CD8+ T cells to improve prognosis in patients with stage IV colorectal cancer. A total of 55 patients with histologically and clinically diagnosed stage IV colorectal carcinoma were enrolled between July 2014 and July 2017. The patients inhaled hydrogen gas for 3 h/day at their own homes and received chemotherapy at the Tamana Regional Health Medical Center (Tamana, Kumamoto, Japan). The CD8+ T cells were isolated from the peripheral blood and their phenotype was analyzed by flow cytometry. It was found that exhausted terminal programmed cell death 1 (PD‑1)+ CD8+ T cells in the peripheral blood are independently associated with worse progression‑free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). Notably, hydrogen gas decreased the abundance of exhausted terminal PD‑1+ CD8+ T cells, increased that of active terminal PD‑1‑ CD8+ T cells, and improved PFS and OS times, suggesting that the balance between terminal PD1+ and PD1‑ CD8+ T cells is critical for cancer prognosis. Therefore, a novel system for patient classification (category 1‑4) was developed in the present study based on these two indices to assist in predicting the prognosis and therapeutic response. Collectively, the present results suggested that hydrogen gas reverses imbalances toward PD‑1+ CD8+ T cells to provide an improved prognosis.
