The distinction? According to a recent study, gold has a fairly strong affinity for cancer DNA. According to the researchers, this characteristic appears to be present in all cancer DNA, independent of the type of cancer.
As a result of their discovery, the researchers created a brand-new test that looks for cancer using gold nanoparticles. Depending on whether cancer DNA is present, the color of the gold particles changes. According to the study, which was released today (Dec. 4) in the journal Nature Communications, the outcome was a quick and easy test that might identify cancer in just 10 minutes.
In This Article...
Can gold treat cancer?
The significance of determining which cellular elements inside the tumor microenvironment take up the gold nanoparticles and become radiosensitized is discussed in this paper. The cells known as activated fibroblasts, which are linked to wound healing and exhibit anti-tumorogenic capabilities, or qualities that prevent the growth of tumors, are of special interest to us.
However, tumor cells have the ability to draw in activated fibroblasts and transform them into cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs). CAFs encourage the growth and metastasis of tumors rather than having anti-tumourigenic effects.
The idea that tumors are “wounds that do not heal” is supported by the function of CAFs, and targeting CAFs may help enhance the results of cancer treatment.
Our research on using gold nanoparticles in radiation therapy has three objectives, as shown in the graphic above: to improve the death of tumor cells, to target CAFs, and to safeguard fibroblasts.
A significant uptake of the radiosensitizing particles by the treatment’s target cells (those linked to cancer growth), compared to a low uptake by healthy cells, is necessary for radiosensitizing to improve radiation therapy. Because of this, radiation therapy can more easily kill the targeted cells at patient-tolerated doses.
These positive outcomes employing lab-grown 3D tumors are quite promising. Compared to cancer cells, fibroblasts had a comparatively low absorption of the gold nanoparticles per cell, which was approximately treble that of CAFs. This resulted in a greater increase in DNA damage in the CAFs than in the other cell types, which decreased their activity and slowed the growth of the tumor.
Gold nanoparticles may be a useful tool in future cancer radiation therapy, helping to limit harm to normal tissue while boosting local radiation therapy dose to the tumor due to the differential in DNA damage caused by selective targeting of cancer-associated cells over normal cells.
This study shows that the CAFs are more damaged when gold nanoparticles are used as a radiosensitizer, which has been demonstrated to be a key factor in the development of cancer. We think that in the near future, this work will serve as a foundation for a treatment plan that is more successful. Improving patient treatment outcomes requires developing a model that can faithfully depict the various interactions occurring within the tumour’s microenvironment.
How is cancer detected by gold?
It has been demonstrated that an unique blood test that employs gold nanoparticles to detect cancer may also detect signals given off by cancer cells, which could lead to an earlier diagnosis and more effective treatment.
Extracellular vesicles (EVs) in the circulation may be found and monitored by University of Queensland scientists’ nanotechnology, according to new research.
Jing Wang, a researcher at the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), said the discovery could result in more effective, individualized cancer treatments by enabling physicians to quickly assess how treatment is going.
“According to her, EVs represent a promising new generation of possible blood biomarkers.
“They are nanoparticles that both cancer cells and healthy cells continuously release to allow for cell-to-cell contact.
“They function like little bubbles that carry molecules like DNA, proteins, and other substances between cells. This cargo provides valuable information about what is happening inside the cell.
“The EV nanoparticles are used by cancer cells to control the cells in their immediate environment, as well as to suppress and control the immune system.
Is radiation present in gold?
Radiation is administered during radiation therapy for cancer after careful calculations are made to ensure that the tumor receives the largest dosage possible and healthy tissue receives the lowest possible amount. Radiation still has an impact on healthy tissue despite these measures. When the tumor is close to vital organs, this effect is more harmful. Therefore, it’s critical to minimize radiation therapy’s dose and harm to healthy tissues and organs.
Utilizing radiation enhancers, which can absorb radiation and make tumor cells more vulnerable to it, is one of the current methods for reducing its effects. Since making a tumor more radiation-susceptible allows for the use of less radiation, they are intended to increase tumor cell death. Less radiation will also have a less negative impact on healthy tissues.
Nanoparticles, such as carbon nanotubes, gold nanoparticles, and quantum dots, can act as radiation enhancers. This paper will concentrate on the application of gold nanoparticles (GNPs). A good radiation enhancer is gold. Locally enhanced radiation absorbed energy may contribute to the radiosensitization of biomolecules by GNPs. Gold is a high Z substance that can absorb radiation much more quickly than tissue. For some keV photon energy, the advantage in absorption can increase by about a factor of 100. (20 keV shown in , can be checked in a database ). In addition, the Auger effect allows gold nanoparticles to release a number of Auger electrons when they come into contact with radiation. When an excited atom (such an ionized gold atom) releases its additional energy as an electron rather than a photon, this is known as the Auger effect.
Auger electrons have a restricted range of activity in tissues because of their low energy (about 80 keV or less in gold). It may cause the precise and fatal dose to be delivered in their immediate area. To maximize the radiation amplification impact, gold nanoparticles must be placed into tumors close to essential cellular structures, as this narrow range also suggests. This means that cancer cells should be the target of the gold nanoparticles.
The usage of gold nanoparticles as a radiation enhancer in vivo will be discussed in this work. specific subjects comprise:
Can cancer be cured by colloidal gold?
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), a protein that kills cancer, is attached to the surface of very tiny gold particles in a laboratory to create colloidal gold-bound tumor necrosis factor. Without hurting healthy tissue, these TNF-gold particles may kill cancer cells. Colloidal gold that is linked to TNF is also known as Aurimmune.
The gold cancer ribbon: what is it?
During the negotiations over the release of the Iranian hostages, the yellow ribbon served as a vehicle for disseminating the message of hope, solidarity, and awareness regarding that crisis. This marked the beginning of the widespread use of ribbons in America as symbolic representations of a particular message or campaign. Since that time, ribbons have been used to raise awareness for a wide range of issues, including AIDS (red ribbon), breast cancer (pink ribbon), suicide prevention (yellow ribbon), and many more. Without using a single word, ribbons communicate a clear message that can cut over language borders and affect people all across the world.
The gold ribbon serves as the disease’s universal awareness symbol. The gold ribbon represents all types of cancer that afflict children and adolescents, in contrast to other cancer awareness ribbons that concentrate on a single type of cancer.
History of the Gold Ribbon
Although several colors were taken into consideration, it was decided that gold would be the best option for raising awareness of childhood cancer because gold is a precious metal and is thus the appropriate hue to reflect the most precious thing in our livesour children.
As a result of the hard work and commitment of this group of parents in the early years of our organization, the CCCF supported the creation of the first gold ribbons in 1997 (in the form of lapel pins). Today, the gold ribbon is a globally known symbol for childhood cancer awareness.
What is cancer therapy using nanogold?
A tumor can be injected with gold nanoparticles. After that, the patient is exposed to a certain wavelength of light that safely penetrates the skin and other body tissues but is absorbed by the nano-gold, heating and killing the tumor cells in the area.
Photothermal agents: what are they?
The main component of photothermal therapy, also known as photosensitizer, is an optical absorbing substance that can absorb energy and transform it into heat when stimulated by electromagnetic radiation like radiofrequency, microwaves, near infrared irradiation, or light.
