Monday, 20th October 2008 (838 views)

A new way of manufacturing gold nanorods that could be used to treat cancerous tumours without the need for surgery has been developed.

Nanopartz has refined the process of making its patent-pending gold nanorods, which it states are "proving their ability" to be useful in cancer treatments.

The new method involves replacing a cytotoxic substance used in the manufacturing process with a low-toxicity material, making it safer for use in in-vitro medical applications.

Rod-shaped gold nanoparticles have "unprecedented" characteristics that make them highly useful for cancer treatments, the firm noted.

Their shape means that they effectively conduct heat and light in a way that can target cancerous cells and kill them.

Christian Schoen, president of Nanopartz, remarked: "We are very excited at the potential applications of these nanorods."

A University of Missouri team, led by Kattesh Katti, has also developed a way to produce gold nanorods that eliminates any negative side-effects.

 

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