Do you Know That Gold nanoparticles could be used to treat cancer ? (read new research).

Tiny flecks of gold could be used in the fight
against cancer, new research has suggested.
Scientists at Edinburgh University have just
completed a study which shows the precious
metal increased the effectiveness of drugs used
to treat lung cancer cells.
Minute fragments, known as gold nanoparticles,
were encased in a chemical device by the
research team.

While this has not yet been tested on humans, it
is hoped such a device could one day be used to
reduce side effects of current chemotherapy
treatments by precisely targeting diseased cells
without damaging healthy tissue.
Gold is a safe chemical element and has the
ability to accelerate, or catalyse, chemical
reactions.
Researchers at the University of Edinburgh
discovered properties of the metal that allow
these catalytic abilities to be accessed in living
things without any side effects.
The device was shown to be effective after being
implanted in the brain of a zebrafish, suggesting
it can be used in living animals.
The study was carried out in collaboration with
researchers at the University of Zaragoza's
Institute of Nanoscience of Aragon in Spain, with
funding coming from Cancer Research UK
(CRUK), and the Engineering and Physical
Sciences Research Council.
Dr Asier Unciti-Broceta, from the University of
Edinburgh's CRUK Edinburgh Centre, said: "We
have discovered new properties of gold that were
previously unknown and our findings suggest that
the metal could be used to release drugs inside
tumours very safely.
"There is still work to do before we can use this
on patients, but this study is a step forward. We
hope that a similar device in humans could one
day be implanted by surgeons to activate
chemotherapy directly in tumours and reduce
harmful effects to healthy organs."