Gas therapy: an innovative application for intervertebral disc degeneration

作者：Lu Cai, Bin Ru, Haijiang Ren, F CAI, Lingyuan Zeng, Jiayu Yang, Shibo Wang, H. Zhang, Yao Li, Long Zhang · 发表于：Medical Gas Research · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.4103/mgr.medgasres-d-25-00191 · 被引用次数：2 · 研究领域：Medical and Biological Ozone Research、Spine and Intervertebral Disc Pathology、Therapeutic Uses of Natural Elements

FactsGas therapy represents a novel and promising therapeutic paradigm for intervertebral disc degeneration, utilizing bioactive gases to modulate oxidative stress, inflammation, and extracellular matrix metabolism.Certain gas therapies, such as medical ozone and hyperbaric oxygen, have already been translated into clinical use for intervertebral disc degeneration, demonstrating efficacy in pain alleviation, disinfection, and improving functional outcomes through minimally invasive delivery.The core mechanisms of gas therapeutics involve the restoration of disc microenvironment homeostasis via specific actions, including reactive oxygen species scavenging, suppression of inflammatory cytokines, inhibition of inflammasome activity, and enhancement of collagen synthesis.Combination strategies integrating gas therapy with other regenerative approaches-such as stem cell transplantation, bioactive scaffolds, or drug delivery systems-exhibit synergistic potential for amplifying anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anabolic effects in disc repair.Open questionsWhat are the precise molecular mechanisms and signaling pathways (e.g., hydrogen-mediated nuclear factor erythroid 2-related factor 2 activation, hydrogen sulfide-dependent extracellular matrix regulation) through which gaseous mediators exert their therapeutic effects in human disc cells under pathological microenvironments?How can physiologically relevant disease models-such as human disc organoids or large animal models unde...