hydrogen sulfide

Overview

Hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) is a small, endogenously produced sulfur-containing gas that functions as a biologically active signaling molecule and, at higher concentrations, a toxic gas. In biomedical research it is often discussed as a gasotransmitter alongside nitric oxide and carbon monoxide, with roles in redox regulation, mitochondrial function, inflammation, vascular biology, and cellular stress responses. Its effects are highly context-dependent: physiologic or controlled donor-mediated H₂S exposure can be cytoprotective, whereas excessive environmental exposure is hazardous.

In recent translational studies, hydrogen sulfide has been investigated both as a therapeutic agent and as a mechanistic target. The provided publication contexts show its use in controlled-release donor systems, tumor-responsive nanoplatforms, myocardial repair materials, wound-healing hydrogels, and neuroprotective or mitochondrial-protective interventions. It is also a practical target in industrial biodesulfurization, where microbial systems are used to remove H₂S from natural gas.

Recent Publications Focus

Below is a summary of the newest research publications targeting hydrogen sulfide (sorted by publication date).

Recent studies have continued to explore hydrogen sulfide (H2S) as a versatile therapeutic and functional gas in biomedical systems, especially in cancer and cardiovascular disease. In tumor-focused work, H2S was incorporated into cascade-responsive nanoplatforms and engineered microbial systems to enhance multimodal therapy. One nanoplatform synchronized H2S release with Cu+ delivery, photothermal therapy, and immunomodulation to promote cuproptosis, reactive oxygen species generation, macrophage repolarization, and antitumor immunity. Another engineered microbial nanohybrid used hypoxia-triggered H2S generation to damage mitochondria, inhibit catalase, and amplify ferroptosis immunotherapy through cGAS-STING activation in a murine breast cancer model. A separate study combined H2S release with a photoelectrochemical immunoassay, where H2S generated after carcinoembryonic antigen recognition transformed a heterojunction into a tandem built-in electric field system that improved photocurrent and enabled highly sensitive detection.

Beyond oncology, H2S was investigated as a protective mediator in cardiovascular and pulmonary injury. An injectable “gas-electro” hydrogel for myocardial infarction delivered sustained H2S alongside conductive components to support electrophysiological repair, reduce infarct size, attenuate fibrosis and inflammation, promote angiogenesis, and improve cardiac function in rats. In developing airway smooth muscle exposed to moderate hyperoxia, exogenous H2S donors and stabilization of cystathionine β-synthase mitigated mitochondrial damage, oxidative stress, and contractile dysfunction, suggesting a role for H2S in protecting the premature lung from oxygen-induced injury.

H2S also appeared in materials and environmental applications. In pilot-scale biodesulfurization of natural gas, indigenous sulfur-oxidizing bacteria were rapidly enriched to remove hydrogen sulfide and recover sulfur, with microbial community analyses identifying Thioalkalimicrobium as the dominant genus and bipyramidal elemental sulfur as the main product. In a separate geoengineering analysis, H2S was evaluated as one of several sulfur precursors for stratospheric aerosol deployment; it was estimated to be cheaper to loft than sulfur dioxide, but its production cost was uncertain, and it carried similar toxicity plus an added flammability risk.

Overall, these publications portray hydrogen sulfide as a biologically active gas with expanding roles in therapeutic delivery, diagnostic sensing, mitochondrial regulation, and sulfur management. Across the studies, H2S was linked to modulation of oxidative stress, mitochondrial function, immune signaling, and material reactivity, while also being assessed for practical considerations such as safety, cost, and deployment feasibility.

Background PMIDs

• [PMID 41797134]

Method PMIDs

• [PMID 41985171]

Result PMIDs

• [PMID 41455286]
• [PMID 42160704]
• [PMID 42405999]

Target PMIDs

• [PMID 41605106]
• [PMID 41805459]
• [PMID 42018287]
• [PMID 42246518]
• [PMID 42261086]
• [PMID 42265838]
• [PMID 42325187]