A gas best known for its terrible “rotten egg” smell could soon help millions of people struggling with nail infections.
Scientists from the University of Bath and King’s College London have discovered that hydrogen sulfide — a gas found in volcanoes and produced naturally in the body — might be turned into a new, fast-acting treatment for fungal and bacterial nail infections.
Nail infections are extremely common, affecting up to 10% of the world’s population and nearly half of people over 70.
They are not only unpleasant but can also cause complications in older adults and people with diabetes.
Despite being widespread, they are notoriously hard to treat because medicines struggle to reach the infection beneath the hard nail surface.
Current treatments come in two main forms: pills and creams. Oral antifungal pills work reasonably well within a few months, but they can cause serious side effects, especially for people with other health problems.
Topical treatments — those applied to the nail — are safer but take much longer to work, sometimes even years, and the infection often comes back.
Their main limitation is poor penetration through the nail plate, which prevents the drug from reaching the microbes hiding underneath.
The new research offers a promising alternative.
The team found that hydrogen sulfide (H₂S) can easily pass through the nail and has strong antimicrobial power against a wide range of nail pathogens, including fungi that are resistant to standard antifungal drugs.
In lab experiments, researchers used a special chemical that slowly releases hydrogen sulfide.
This gas disrupted the microbes’ energy systems, caused irreversible damage, and ultimately killed them.
Dr. Albert Bolhuis from the University of Bath said that a hydrogen sulfide–based cream or ointment could overcome the main limitations of current treatments.
“Thanks to its ability to efficiently reach the site of infection and its novel mode of action, we believe that a topically applied medicine containing hydrogen sulfide could become a highly effective new treatment,” he explained.
While hydrogen sulfide is known to be toxic at high levels and has a strong smell, researchers say the amounts needed for treatment would be well below harmful levels. With the right formulation, they also expect to control the odor.
So far, the research has only been tested in the lab, but the team hopes to develop a real-world treatment for patients within the next five years.
Professor Stuart Jones from King’s College London said, “We are looking forward to translating these findings into an innovative topical product that can treat nail infection.”
If successful, the smelly gas that once cleared rooms could soon be clearing up nails instead.
If you care about inflammation, please read studies about turmeric: nature’s golden answer to inflammation, and what to eat to reduce chronic Inflammation.
For more health information, please see recent studies about how a plant-based diet could help ease inflammation, and Vitamin D deficiency linked to increased inflammation.
Source: University of Bath.
