Nail infections are common and frustrating. They are often caused by fungi, though sometimes bacteria can be involved. These infections affect about 4 to 10% of people worldwide.
Among older adults, especially those over 70, the number goes up to nearly 50%. Nail infections can also lead to serious health problems in people with diabetes or other conditions that weaken the immune system.
Despite being common, these infections are very hard to treat. Right now, most people use either oral medications (pills) or topical treatments (creams or liquids placed on the nail). Oral medications can take 2 to 4 months to work and sometimes cause side effects.
People with other health problems may be at higher risk for these side effects. Topical treatments are usually safer, but they must be used for a very long time—sometimes for years—and they don’t always work. Even after treatment, the infection can return.
One of the biggest problems is that many medications can’t pass through the thick, tough surface of the nail. This means the drugs don’t reach the fungi or bacteria hiding underneath. Even the best topical medicines don’t fully cure the infection most of the time. So, there is a big need for better, faster, and safer treatments.
Now, scientists from the University of Bath and King’s College London have found a surprising new option—hydrogen sulfide. This is a natural gas known for its bad “rotten egg” smell. It may sound unpleasant, but it turns out this gas might be very good at treating nail infections.
Hydrogen sulfide is a small gas molecule that can move easily through the nail plate. Earlier studies showed that it can travel through nail tissue better than most medicines. In their new research, the scientists found that it also kills a wide range of microbes, including fungal types that don’t respond well to current antifungal drugs.
In lab tests, the team used a compound that slowly releases hydrogen sulfide. The gas messed with the energy systems inside the fungal cells and caused permanent damage, eventually killing them. These results are very promising and suggest that hydrogen sulfide could be used in a topical treatment to fight nail infections more effectively.
Dr. Albert Bolhuis, one of the lead researchers, said that a cream or lotion with hydrogen sulfide could be much more effective than what’s available today. Because it can reach the infection site easily and has a new way of killing the microbes, it could help many patients who haven’t had success with other treatments.
There are still challenges to solve. Hydrogen sulfide smells very bad and can be toxic at high levels. But the researchers say that the amount needed for treatment is very small and not harmful. They also believe that a carefully designed formula could control the smell so it’s not a problem for users.
So far, the research has only been done in lab settings (in vitro), not yet in people. Still, the team is hopeful. They want to create a new cream or gel using this gas and hope to have it ready for patient use within the next five years.
Professor Stuart Jones from King’s College London said they are excited to move forward and create a product that could offer a real solution for stubborn and drug-resistant nail infections.
This study offers hope that even something as strange as a smelly gas could lead to a fast, safe, and powerful new way to treat nail infections.
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The study is published in Scientific Reports.
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