Hyperbaric oxygen therapy: future prospects in regenerative therapy and anti-aging

Abstract

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) utilizes 100% oxygen at high atmospheric pressure for clinical applications. HBOT has proven to be an effective supplementary treatment for a variety of clinical and pathological disorders. HBOT's therapeutic results are based on the physiological effects of increased tissue oxygenation, or improved oxygen bioavailability. HBOT's current indications in illnesses like as wound healing, thermal or radiation burns, and tissue necrosis point to its function in facilitating the regeneration process. Various research has revealed that HBOT plays a function in vascularization, angiogenesis, and collagen production augmentation. Individual regeneration capacity is influenced by both environmental and genetic factors. Furthermore, the regenerating ability of different types of tissues varies, and this ability declines with age. HBOT affects physiological processes at the genetic level by altering gene expression, delaying cell senescence, and assisting in telomere length enhancement. The positive results in a variety of indications, ranging from tissue regeneration to better cognitive function, indicate that it has enormous potential in regenerative and anti-aging therapy.

Keywords: aging; hyperbaric medicine; hyperoxia; regeneration; senescence; telomere.

FIGURE 1

Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy (HBOT) aids in the maintenance of telomere length resulting in slowing down of aging process.

FIGURE 2

The representative schematic diagram shows the various properties which are influenced by HBOT and their clinical application. For starters, it can promote angiogenesis by increasing NO production, which leads to an increase in Nrf2 and growth factors such as epidermal growth factor (EGF), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and various associated factors will all be upregulated. Second, antimicrobial activity is visible due to bacterial killing by O₂, which removes biofilm and reduces white blood cell (WBC) rolling and neutrophil recruitment, promoting the downregulation of proinflammatory cytokines. Downregulation of the transcriptional factors involving a proinflammatory response switch off (IL-6) and a polarisation from Th17 lymphocytes to Treg, is observed to have immunomodulatory properties. Overall, the HBOT application shows clear signs for endorsement of mainly wound healing and infections, primary emergencies (air embolism), and therapeutic interventions (comprising COVID-19, cancer, inflammatory conditions or ageing among others).