Engineered eternal youth? Chinese scientists develop revolutionary hydrogen therapy to reverse aging

"A team of Chinese researchers has developed an anti-aging therapy using hydrogen, which could potentially effectively reverse age-related changes in the body and prevent geriatric diseases" as reported by the South China Morning Post.

Scientists have long understood that hydrogen—the lightest and simplest of all elements—can slow or even reverse the cellular aging process. "However, translating this knowledge into a practical therapy proved difficult", the newspaper claims.

Now, a Chinese research group, Nature Communications, asserts they have solved the long-standing mystery of immortality. As reported, the group's plan is to safely deliver a high concentration of hydrogen molecules over an extended period, which can have a therapeutic effect.

Using nanotechnology, experts have developed an implant designed to deliver hydrogen directly to the body with an efficacy of up to 40 thousand times greater than other methods.

In the past, people believed that drinking water rich in hydrogen or inhaling hydrogen gas could halt the aging process but sustainable success was never achieved, as confirmed by the South China Morning Post.

As per the published article, the implant is designed to deliver hydrogen consistently and slowly for up to a week (even releasing hydrogen for 9 days). This marks a significant improvement compared to the 30-minute absorption rate for hydrogen-rich water.

The study showed that long-term treatment with the implant contributed to the repair of bone defects in older mice, which were the same age as a 70-year-old human, according to their findings.

He Qianjun, the lead author from Jiao Tong University in Shanghai, is confident that continuous hydrogen delivery could become a common technology for fighting cell aging and treating various age-related diseases, including the prevention and treatment of diseases such as Alzheimer's.

Hydrogen, acting as an anti-inflammatory agent, is recognized as a substance that eliminates toxic particles on the skin that cause aging. This lightest of all gases has a universally revitalizing effect on various cells and tissues of the human body. The aging process oftentimes results from cell inflammation and loss of the body's regenerative abilities, which progress with age.

He Qianjun told the South China Morning Post that the team's next important challenge is to increase the duration of hydrogen release. Though further research is needed before human testing can begin, developing high-performance materials for hydrogen delivery is seen as essential for additional advances in this area.