OUR RESEARCH

The increasing number of studies has shown that molecular hydrogen mediates beneficial biological effects in various pathophysiological conditions of plants, animal and human. In most of these disease models, the effects of hydrogen have been reported with administration of hydrogenized saline, hydrogen-rich water, hydrogen gas or hydrogen solution. It is likely that the therapeutic effects of molecular hydrogen will not be species-specific and could be translated into daily clinical or healthcare practices. The best modality of hydrogen administration still remains uncertain. However, it is commonly accepted that hydrogen-enriched water is the most practical for mass-produce and of great commercial value for daily consumption.

We have the opportunity to collaborate with the award-winning corporation in the water filtering industry, who is also the member of the Water Quality Association, in establishing the protocol for the generation of hydrogen-enriched water and testing the efficacy of ingesting the water in fitness and health. The buffering capacity and antioxidant property of hydrogen-enriched water make it an ideal alternative drink for enhancing exercise performance as well as reducing the oxidative stress following unaccustomed muscle-damaging exercise.

With this eScience Fund, we will be able to develop a novel hydrogen-enriched water systematically, characterize the mode of actions of molecular hydrogen for the practical application in fitness and health community, and produce two research higher degree postgraduates in the field of hydrogen medicine and exercise physiology. The protocol for the generation of hydrogen-enriched water could be transferred to hydrogen water maker to improvise the way hydrogen-enriched water is being produced for consumption. At the end of the project, at least two publications are expected and the success of this project could be a reference methodology for future research or clinical trials in hydrogen medicine.

Molecular hydrogen (H2) has recently emerged as a noteworthy potential therapy with both family health and clinical significance. However, the lack of understanding in the basic mechanism of H2 hinders the development of more specific H2-based interventions. The grand aim is to address the knowledge gap about the molecular basis of the protective H2 effect on a wide variety of diseases. We shall initially analyze the role of H2 during oxidative stress, and we will employ strategies from two different directions.

The first part of our study will focus particularly on the formation and disassembly, as well as on the parameters of stress granules. As stress granule formation is important for cell survival, and H2 has been shown to have a protective effect on promoting cell survival during oxidative stress, it is imperative to establish the link between H2 and stress granules. Analyzing the protein composition of stress granules formed in cells cultured in H2-enriched media (compared to those from cells cultured in normal media) may allow the identification of intracellular effectors of H2.

On the other part of our study, we will also test for the compatibility and synergistic (or antagonistic) effects of H2 with several compounds that have been shown to protect against oxidative stress. We postulate that the synergy (or lack thereof) between H2 with some of the compound tested will offer a clue on the mechanism by which H2 exerts its protective effect against oxidative stress. In addition, the findings from this second study can also be communicated to the industry and end users regarding the complement use of hydrogen therapy with conventional antioxidants.

Our two-part strategy is independent of each other, but yet represents viable alternatives that allow continuous progression despite bottleneck on one part. In addition, complementary results from both parts will give high confidence about our study.

Oxidative stress occurs when the cellular homeostasis between the generation and sequestration of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS) is disrupted. ROS and RNS are typically generated due to the uncoupling of the electron transport chain with ATP synthesis process in the mitochondria. Chemicals, cellular disorders and pathological conditions that lead to disruption of the electron transfer or compromised mitochondrial membrane integrity will lead to excessive ROS and RNS generation and oxidative stress.

The potential health benefits of molecular hydrogen (H2) has been reported for many medical conditions, including diabetes, radiotherapy, rheumatoid arthritis, and Alzheimer’s disease. These effects are largely attributed to the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammation properties of H2. Drug-induced oxidative stress is implicated as the key contributor towards adverse side effects on several popular drugs. This project aims to address whether H2 can ameliorate drug-induced oxidative stress and apoptosis, in cell culture (initially). Positive results will then be further investigated in animal models and human studies for the development of hydrogen-based intervention against drug-induced oxidative stress.

This proposed study aim to conceptually prove the potential of hydrogen therapy against drug-induced oxidative stress using a cell-based system. The method framework set up can also be adapted for future in vitro studies regarding hydrogen therapy.