A green, efficient and precise hydrogen therapy of cancer based on in vivo electrochemistry

By combined use of traditional Chinese acupuncture Fe needle electrode and in vivo electrochemistry, we achieved in vivo H₂ generation in tumors in a controllable manner and exploited it for effective and green therapy of tumors for the first time. The cathodic acupuncture electrodes working under an applied voltage of ∼3 V (with minimal damage to the living body) undergo effective electrochemical reactions in the acidic tumor area that produce sufficient H₂ locally to cause cancer cells to burst and die. Due to puncture positioning, the acidic tumor microenvironment and gas diffusion effect, the developed H₂ generation electrochemotherapy (H₂-ECT) strategy enables precise and large-scale tumor therapy, as demonstrated by in vivo treatment of diseased mice (glioma and breast cancers). Such green H₂-ECT is simple, highly efficient and minimally invasive, requiring no expensive medical equipment or nano materials and medication, and is therefore very promising for potential clinical applications.