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Biomedical - Overview'From its early historical use in ancient cultures, gold is becoming increasingly important in many modern medical treatments, ranging from drugs to precision implants.'
According to the 'channels theory' of traditional Chinese medicine, gold could enter a) the shaoyin channels of the hand or b) the jueyin channels of the foot. The arrows indicate the path for gold along the body channels (Gold Bulletin 2001, 34 (1)).
Gold also possesses a high degree of resistance to bacterial colonisation and because of this it is the material of choice for implants that are at risk of infection, such as the inner ear. Gold has a long tradition of use in this application and is considered a very valuable metal in microsurgery of the ear. Gold
and gold compounds have also historically been used in drugs
for the treatment of a wide range of ailments. This use of gold
compounds in medicine is called chrysotherapy. The Frenchman
Jacques Forestier reported in 1929 that the use of gold complexes
was beneficial in the treatment of arthritis.
Later work after the Second World War demonstrated conclusively
that gold drugs are effective in treating rheumatoid arthritis
patients. Two of the most commonly referred to gold compounds
in such treatments are Myocrisin and Auranofin.
Ampoules of gold can be prescribed for inflammation conditions and rheumatism
In the last few decades the properties of gold compounds have been of interest as potential HIV agents and cancer treatments. Researchers at the National University of Singapore have just patented novel gold complexes for use in pharmaceuticals for the treatment of cancer. Currently, the most widely used treatments for many types of cancers are platinum based drugs, with the major drawback of serious side effects. Associate Professor Leung Pak Hing and his team have discovered that phosphine supported gold complexes have excellent anti-tumour activity and clinical trials are likely to begin in the near future. Gold colloid is the perfect raw material for rapid testing. A rapid test is an inexpensive, disposable, membrane-based technique that provides visual evidence of the presence of an analyte in a liquid sample. Applications for rapid tests include clinical uses (fertility tests, tumor markers, toxicology, allergies), agricultural uses (food safety, plant and crop diseases) and environmental uses (biological and environmental contamination.)
Gold components are used in this inplantable insulin
pump.
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