Promising novel therapy with hydrogen gas for emergency and critical care medicine

It has been reported that hydrogen gas exerts a therapeutic effect in a wide range of disease conditions, from acute illness such as ischemia–reperfusion injury, shock, and damage healing to chronic illness such as metabolic syndrome, rheumatoid arthritis, and neurodegenerative diseases. Antioxidant and anti‐inflammatory properties of hydrogen gas have been proposed, but the molecular target of hydrogen gas has not been identified. We established the Center for Molecular Hydrogen Medicine to promote non‐clinical and clinical research on the medical use of hydrogen gas through industry–university collaboration and to obtain regulatory approval of hydrogen gas and hydrogen medical devices (http://www.karc.keio.ac.jp/center/center-55.html). Studies undertaken by the Center have suggested possible therapeutic effects of hydrogen gas in relation to various aspects of emergency and critical care medicine, including acute myocardial infarction, cardiopulmonary arrest syndrome, contrast‐induced acute kidney injury, and hemorrhagic shock.