“The Potential of Gold Nanoparticles in Cancer Therapy”

Brandon Park - Medical Technology Department

Link: https://doi.org/10.3390/app10113824

In "Gold Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Cancer Therapy," Sarkar Siddique and James Chow discuss how gold nanoparticles (Au NPs), can be coated with drugs and used to more precisely target cancer cells in specific areas of the body. This is crucial as cancer cells can be challenging to target with drugs, which means normal cells in the body are often negatively affected by pharmaceutical treatment. The article highlights the potential benefits of using Au NPs for cancer treatment, including increased drug effectiveness and reduced side effects. Although they are not widely used yet, Au NPs have been studied for various promising uses outside of cancer therapy, such as gene therapy, photothermal therapy, and radiotherapy. Future studies will focus on improving Au NPs mechanisms and components to ensure that they are safe and effective.

Since Au NPs have unique properties, including their small size, stability, and ability to interact with biological systems, they have been considered for a variety of medical applications other than cancer drug delivery. For instance, gold nanoparticles can be used as contrast agents for imaging techniques, such as computed tomography (CT) scans, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and optical imaging, to provide clearer imaging and better diagnoses. Furthermore, their ability to bind to specific molecules signifies they can be used to improve the sensitivity and selectivity of diagnostic tests and to develop more accurate tests for diseases, such as HIV and cancer. They are also easy to synthesize and do not harm living cells or tissues. Nevertheless, more research is needed, such as their potential toxicity and their effects on cells, before this technology can be widely used in cancer treatments and other medical procedures.

References:

Siddique, S., & Chow, J. C. L. (2020). Gold Nanoparticles for Drug Delivery and Cancer Therapy. Applied Sciences, 10(11), 3824. https://doi.org/10.3390/app10113824