Exploring a new direction in targeted cancer therapy through hyperbaric oxygen therapy combined with biomedical...

The hypoxic tumor microenvironment and dense extracellular matrix (ECM) are key factors limiting the effectiveness of cancer treatments. Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) effectively alleviates hypoxia by increasing the oxygen partial pressure (pO₂) in tumor tissues, enhancing the sensitivity of chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and immunotherapy. In recent years, the rapid development of biomedical engineering technologies such as nanodrug delivery, engineered bacteria, and immunocellular therapy has provided new strategies to address issues like poor drug penetration and immunosuppressive microenvironments. Studies have shown that the combined application of HBOT and biomedical engineering technologies can synergize: on one hand, HBOT induces reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation and regulates matrix metalloproteinase (MMPs) expression, degrading collagen and fibronectin in the ECM, reducing tumor stiffness, increasing nanodrug penetration depth by 1.8 times and immune cell infiltration rate by 2.3 times. On the other hand, biomedical engineering technologies target delivery of chemotherapy drugs (such as temozolomide/porous silicon nanoparticles), photosensitizers, or gene editing tools (such as CRISPR-Cas9) in conjunction with the improved oxygenation microenvironment by HBOT, significantly enhancing the anti-tumor effects. This article provides a systematic review of the mechanisms, clinical translation outcomes, and safety issues of HBOT combined with biomedical engineering technologies, and highlights the future focus on optimizing individualized treatment plans, long-term efficacy evaluation, and molecular mechanism analysis to promote the clinical application of this interdisciplinary treatment model.