Medical ozone is now ready for a scientific challenge: current status and future perspectives

Lamberto Re, Giuseppe Malcangi, Gregorio Martinez-Sanchez

Abstract
The aim of the present review is to clarify some of the basic mechanisms underlying ozone therapy. Indeed, after its empiric use started at the beginning of the last century, science is now ready to give a chance to the more and more medical doctors working in this field. Unfortunately, the lack of a full recognition by the health authorities and some ostracism against it is, up to date, the major obstacle for its full medical acceptance. Anyway, in the last years and thanks to the contributions of several scientists, most of the mechanisms characterizing the bio-humoral activity of ozone have been scientifically outlined. The built up of randomized clinical studies is going on slowly despite the lack of funds and the difficulties bound mainly to the huge variability of the ozone action.
The thousand and thousand medical doctors involved in the use of ozone as emerging therapy, must be fully educated about the properties of this gas in the aim to counteract scientifically the criticisms of colleagues devoted to other field of medicine and not expert of the ozone pharmacological properties. Is for this reason that we encourage all the professionals to deeply increase the knowledge related to the scientific data produced and published on the international literatures in the field of the ozone therapy.
For the future we suggest the use of ozone not in alternative but as a complement of the most appropriate pharmacological treatments also in the aim to reduce some side effects derived from a chronic drug use. The lack of a well-defined binding site for the ozone molecule could suggest the introduction of virtual receptors for the supposed biological activity of ozone acting mostly throughout second messengers pathways.

Key words: Complementary therapy; Ozone; Ozone therapy