The results point to new directions for the expansion of clinical applications, particularly in tumor and metabolic diseases
HYD LLC., the organiser of the 5th International Congress on Deuterium Depletion and its satellite event, the Aqua-Synapse research programme workshop, announced that researchers from 12 countries demonstrated that recognition of deuterium’s regulatory role in biological systems could fundamentally rewrite current therapeutic approaches. The Aqua-Synapse research programme workshop was supported by the European Commission’s Research Executive Agency (REA) in Budapest.
At the scientific events, speakers from Sweden, America, England, China, Russia, Canada and Hungary presented their latest evidence on the physiological effects of the heavy isotope of hydrogen. The results not only enriched our understanding of the regulation of biological processes but also pointed to new directions for expanding clinical applications, especially in tumour and metabolic diseases. The fourteen presentations in the conference programme were given by researchers from prestigious institutions, including the Karolinska Institute in Sweden, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the United States, Tulane University and the University of Lisbon.
One of the keynote speakers at the conference was Gábor I. Csonka, a professor at Tulane University, who, in studies conducted with A549 lung cancer cells, demonstrated with his co-authors that while deuterium enrichment enhances signalling pathways related to inflammation and invasion, deuterium depletion results in their systemic downregulation, directly inhibiting the function of genes responsible for cancer development. Professor Csonka identified deuterium concentration as a clear modulator of oncogene transcription. Special attention was also paid to the presentation of Roman A. Zubarev, professor of the Royal Karolinska Institute in Sweden, who refuted the traditional “passive isotope” model, according to which isotopes are passive tracers of metabolic processes. Professor Zubarev pointed out that not only hydrogen, but also heavy isotopes of oxygen, nitrogen, and carbon have an active influence on biological systems. According to his experimental evidence, the scientific community is on the verge of a dramatic paradigm shift; deuterium-modulated diets and the control of heavy isotope ratios may become key biomedical applications in the near future. Tatyana Strekalova, from the University of Lisbon and also conducting research within the Aqua-Synapse programme, demonstrated the protective effects of deuterium-depleted water (DDW) in an animal model. In subjects consuming DDW, in addition to increased hedonic sensitivity (increased susceptibility to positive stimuli and pleasure), novelty discovery, and improved memory, changes in brain expression of key genes (e.g., Egr1, Per2, Homer1) that are responsible for cellular stress, neural plasticity, and regeneration were observed.
In line with international scientific findings, the chief researcher at HYD LLC., Gábor Somlyai, presented results on the decisive role of the deuterium-to-hydrogen ratio in the metabolic pathways of tumour cells and the promising application possibilities of deuterium depletion in the treatment of metabolic diseases, such as diabetes. He demonstrated that the optimal deuterium concentration for proper insulin signalling lies between 125 and 140 ppm, emphasising that the deuterium concentration in today’s average population is significantly higher due to reduced fat and high carbohydrate intake. Dr Somlyai also reviewed the results of prospective Phase II randomised clinical trials and retrospective clinical studies demonstrating the anticancer effects of deuterium depletion. In conclusion, he stated that integrating deuterium depletion into conventional cancer treatment protocols could reduce cancer mortality by 75–80%.
In addition to the scientific results, significant international industrial players attending the conference confirmed the global potential of the technology’s practical application and the growing market significance of the procedure based on Hungarian intellectual capital.
The scientific programme of the 5th ICDD conference can be viewed here: https://deuteriumdepletion.com/5th-congress-2026/scientific-program/
You can read about the Aqua-Synapse project here: https://hyd.hu/en/hyd-llc-is-participant-in-the-eu-co-financed-project-aqua-synapse/
