Wednesday, 13th September 2006 (4804 views)

Researchers in the UK are using gold nanoparticles to deliver the chemical used to dye jeans blue into cells. The technique could be used in cancer therapy, the BBC reports.

Phthalocyanine is an agent that can destroy cells but is not dangerous to humans because it cannot easily pass into cells.

Scientists have now used tiny gold particles, 1/5,000th the thickness of a human hair, to deliver the chemical to cells. When they are pulsed with laser light, the chemical causes a reaction that can kill cancer cells.

Dr David Russell of the University of East Anglia said: "We have shown using nanotechnology that we can get phthalocyanine into the cancer cells where it binds and, on activation, causes substantial cell death."

Using photosensitive agents such as gold in cancer therapy has other advantages. In traditional chemotherapy, patients can build up a resistance to certain drugs but this will not happen with photodynamic therapy.

Other cancer therapy involving gold nanoparticles could use so-called microbubbles to target malignant cells.

 

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