A groundbreaking new device from the Bozhi Tian Research Group at the University of Chicago could revolutionize the treatment of chronic wounds like bedsores.
Recently published in Nature Chemical Engineering, researchers unveiled a hydrogel patch called the H-pad. This innovative, non-invasive device generates and delivers therapeutic hydrogen gas directly to damaged tissue, providing a targeted approach to hydrogen-based therapies.
Chronic wounds, such as bedsores, are a persistent challenge in healthcare, costing the U.S. billions annually and significantly impacting patient quality of life. For these millions of patients, hydrogen therapy is a front-line defense.
Hydrogen is a powerful antioxidant that helps treat wounds by protecting cells from reactive oxygen species (ROS), unstable molecules that fuel inflammation and tissue damage. The H-pad delivers hydrogen gas directly to the wound, neutralizing these harmful molecules and promoting a healthier environment for healing.
According to Wen Li, a graduate student in the Tian Group who co-authored the paper with Jing Zhang, existing hydro-therapy delivery methods are often inefficient and problematic due to their non-specific nature. For example, common treatments like drinking hydrogen-infused water deliver the gas systemically throughout the body, making it difficult to target a specific area.
"Because the gas is so light and explosive, we were thinking how can we make a very safe medical device that can generate hydrogen, trap hydrogen and also deliver it," said Li.
The H-pad was designed to provide a superior solution, enabling safe, controlled, and localized delivery. The team created a device with a unique mechanism: the H-pad uses an electrical current to split water within the gel into hydrogen, and the hydrogel material acts as a reservoir, trapping the hydrogen in tiny bubbles. This allows the gas to be delivered in a controlled, localized, and sustained manner directly to a specific area, such as a wound.
Li described the process with an analogy: "Basically, I'm using hydrogel as the plastic of the balloon to cover and catch the hydrogen.”
Li and team are now looking ahead, with plans to explore future applications for the device in other medical conditions characterized by high oxidative stress. Their research has also led to the creation of a startup company, H-Pad, co-operated by Li, which is currently seeking investments to continue the development of new hydrogel-based medical devices
Citation: Wen Li, Jing Zhang, Romain Nith, Jiping Yue, Ananth Kamath, Chuanwang Ou, Chen Wei, Brennan Lee, Pengju Li, Aaron Hsiu-Ming Tsai, Tiantian Guo, Changxu Sun, Saehyun Kim, Lewis Shi, Pedro Lopes, Lihua Jin, and Bozhi Tian. "Hydrogen evolution and dynamics in hydrogel electrochemical cells for ischemia–reperfusion therapy." Nature Chemical Engineering (2025), Aug 15, 2025
Funding: US Army Research Office, National Institute of Health and the National Science Foundation