Why is this brain tumor, known as the “new cancer king,” so dangerous?

Hydrogen-oxygen has the ability to penetrate cell membranes and diffuse into the cytoplasm,crossing the blood-brain barrier to reach damaged areas,clearing malignant free radicals and repairing neural damage.

Among malignant tumors,some are notorious for being dangerous and difficult to treat.For example,pancreatic cancer,widely known as the"king of cancers,"is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to its hidden and unique location.Additionally,its surgery is challenging and high-risk,making it a true"heavyweight"in the cancer world.

The brain tumor we are discussing today,while perhaps not as malignant and aggressive as pancreatic cancer,has long been eyeing the"throne"in the cancer world and is often referred to as the"new cancer king."It is glioma.

Glioma is the most common primary malignant tumor within the brain.Due to its high treatment difficulty and high rates of disability and mortality,it is defined as one of the most challenging refractory tumors in neurosurgical treatment.


The World Health Organization(WHO)classifies gliomas into grades 1–4,with higher grades indicating greater malignancy.The early clinical symptoms of low-grade gliomas are often atypical,with the most common symptoms being epilepsy,hemiplegia,and aphasia.In later stages,symptoms such as headache and vomiting may appear.

High-grade gliomas,especially glioblastoma,are typically discovered at an advanced stage.Most patients experience symptoms such as headaches,vomiting,vision loss,seizures,and may even develop hemiplegia,aphasia,and coma.In the most severe cases,brain herniation can directly threaten life.

If that doesn’t sound serious enough,here’s a more straightforward way to put it:The median survival time for brain glioma is only 14.6 months,meaning that once diagnosed,most patients survive for only about a year.This is why it is often referred to as the"king of brain cancers."

A title like"king"is not given lightly.What exactly gives brain glioma the"ability"to rank among the top cancers?


The brain is often referred to as the"forbidden zone for surgery."Key areas such as the brainstem,thalamus,and spinal cord are critical and interconnected;any surgical intervention can easily damage vital intracranial structures,leading to extremely high rates of disability and mortality.Therefore,for patient safety,conservative treatment is usually recommended.

Moreover,almost all gliomas have the potential to recur,meaning that even after undergoing surgery at the risk of one's life,there is still a high possibility of recurrence.

Since surgery carries significant risks and recurrence is common,what about using medication?But hold on—here we must mention a natural protective mechanism of the brain:the"blood-brain barrier."

The blood-brain barrier refers to the barrier formed by the walls of brain capillaries and glial cells between plasma and brain cells,as well as the barrier formed by the choroid plexus between plasma and cerebrospinal fluid.

The blood-brain barrier is selectively permeable,protecting the brain from toxins and pathogens,but it also hinders the entry of many large molecules,allowing only small molecules such as oxygen and glucose to pass through.

Originally a"unique skill"designed to prevent foreign substances from entering the brain and protect it,it becomes a double-edged sword when treatment is needed—it not only excludes foreign substances from brain tissue but also blocks the entry of drugs during treatment.

Even targeted drugs,which have shown remarkable efficacy in areas such as lung cancer and breast cancer,still hesitate when it comes to treating gliomas.

Surgery carries high risks,and recurrence is common even after resection.Drugs cannot penetrate effectively,making it a truly"stubborn"and treatment-resistant cancer!

However,there is no need for pessimism or despair.The continuous development and progress of human medicine always bring a glimmer of hope.With the deepening of medical research,many explorations into the treatment of gliomas are being unveiled,including hydrogen-oxygen.


Hydrogen-oxygen has the ability to penetrate cell membranes and diffuse into the cytoplasm,crossing the blood-brain barrier to reach damaged areas,clearing malignant free radicals and repairing neural damage.

In an experiment conducted by the School of Life Science and Bioengineering at Beijing University of Technology,researchers used high-concentration hydrogen-oxygen inhalation(66.6%hydrogen+33.3%oxygen)to intervene in gliomas and measured changes in tumor volume and migration,among other factors.


The researchers performed MR imaging of the brain and quantified the volume of the gliomas,as shown in the image above(indicated by the yellow arrow in the image).

On day 17,the tumor volume in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group(HI)was similar to that in the control group(CTRL).However,by day 26,the volume of gliomas in the hydrogen-oxygen inhalation group was significantly smaller than that in the control group,indicating that hydrogen-oxygen inhalation has an inhibitory effect on gliomas.[1]

Furthermore,biochemical tests conducted in this experiment revealed that hydrogen-oxygen intervention significantly downregulated the expression of markers involved in stem cells(CD133,Nestin),proliferation(KI67),and angiogenesis(CD34).It also upregulated the expression of the differentiation marker GFAP,suggesting that hydrogen-oxygen has the ability to inhibit the growth,migration,invasion,and colony formation of gliomas.

In addition to its beneficial effects on primary brain tumors such as gliomas,hydrogen-oxygen also demonstrates significant improvement as an adjuvant therapy for metastatic brain tumors.

In 2018,a case involving a 47-year-old female patient with lung cancer brain metastasis who received high-concentration hydrogen-oxygen inhalation as an intervention was published in the journal Oncotarget and Therapy,attracting considerable attention.


This patient was first diagnosed with lung cancer in 2014,and in 2018,multiple intracranial metastases,third ventricular hydrocephalus,and metastases to the bone,adrenal glands,and liver were discovered.

After one month of hydrogen-oxygen inhalation,tumor progression began to be controlled.After four months,the volume of multiple brain tumors decreased,and hydrocephalus in the third and lateral ventricles was reduced.After one year,all brain tumors disappeared,indicating that hydrogen-oxygen inhalation effectively controlled brain metastases from lung cancer and prolonged survival time.[2]

Previous studies have shown that non-small cell lung cancer(NSCLC)cells tend to metastasize to the brain,bones,adrenal glands,etc.,a process associated with various signaling pathways.

In 2016,scientists demonstrated that hydrogen can inhibit the abnormal activation of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway,while other scientists proved that hydrogen can inhibit SIRT1 signaling in different models.These findings indicate that hydrogen has a unique role in lung cancer brain metastasis.

Postscript

Hydrogen-oxygen medicine is an emerging discipline,and its current application in the clinical field is still in the preliminary exploration stage.It is believed that with the promotion of applications and in-depth research,the auxiliary and improving effects of hydrogen-oxygen in disease treatment will become increasingly understood and widespread.

We look forward to hydrogen-oxygen becoming a powerful weapon against malignant tumors such as glioblastoma in the future!

References:

[1]LIU ET AL.Molecular hydrogen suppresses glioblastoma growth via inducing the glioma stem-like cell differentiation.Stem Cell Research&Therapy.2019 May 21;10(1):145

[2]CHEN ET AL.Brain metastases completely disappear in non-small cell lung cancer using hydrogen gas inhalation:A case report.Oncotargets and Therapy.2019:12 11145-11151