This frequently-cited mechanistic paper from Stephen Thom’s group at the University of Pennsylvania helped explain why hyperbaric oxygen might aid repair across many tissues: it appears to release the body’s own stem cells.
What the study looked at
The study tested the hypothesis that hyperbaric oxygen mobilizes stem/progenitor cells from bone marrow through a nitric-oxide-dependent mechanism, measuring circulating CD34+ cells and colony-forming cells in people undergoing HBOT.
What it found
The authors reported that circulating CD34+ cells roughly doubled after a single session at 2.0 ATA and increased about eightfold over a course of 20 treatments, without a significant rise in overall white-cell count, consistent with a nitric-oxide-dependent mobilization mechanism.
How strong is the evidence?
This is foundational mechanistic (laboratory/physiology) evidence, not a clinical-outcomes trial. It explains a plausible biological pathway and is widely cited, but a mechanism is not the same as a proven treatment effect for any specific condition.
Related on Saturate
See our evidence overview of HBOT and longevity.
Source
Thom SR, et al. (2006). Stem cell mobilization by hyperbaric oxygen. American Journal of Physiology – Heart and Circulatory Physiology. doi.org/10.1152/ajpheart.00888.2005 · PubMed
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