Nanoparticles have potential vs cancer

MOSCOW, Idaho: Mahatma Ghandi said, “It is health that is real wealth and not pieces of gold and silver.”

But according to new research from Washington State University (WSU), (very small) pieces of gold and platinum could actually be a key to health for cancer patients in the future.

The research, recently published showed the use of platinum-gold nanoparticles in photodynamic therapy, a relatively non-invasive cancer treatment that utilizes photosensitizing agents and light to kill cancer cells, could make for a more

The research comes from Annie Du, a research professor at WSU’s School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and a team of eight students who used mesoporous core-shell gold-platinum nanoparticles to improve upon typical photodynamic therapy.

Yang Song, a researcher in charge of cell imaging and photodynamic therapy work on the project, said during photodynamic therapy light

Annie Du, a research professor at Washington State University’s ( WSU) School of Mechanical and Materials Engineering, and a team of eight students have discovered the potential use of gold and silver in very small amounts for cancer treatment. is focused on cancerous tumors to induce programmed cellular death via the generation of reactive oxygen species. The process is toxic to a cancer cell, Song said, but the treatment can have a limited effect on normal cells.

Over the years, researchers have taken notice of the positive effects gold nanoparticles have on the effectiveness of cancer treatments.

Du told the DailyNews the most novel part of her team’s research is the introduction of new ligands - folic acid and triphenylphosphine - to target cells and mitochondria, leading to increased generation of reactive oxygen species, which increases the treatment’s killing power.

The porous nature of the platinum-gold nanoparticles also gives them higher photothermal con - tency, Du said. That means doctors could prescribe less drugs to their patients while still administering targeted, effective treatment.

The team’s research conceives of a strategy that could eventually combine photodynamic therapy and photothermal therapy to improve that prospect appears effective, it could be a while before cancer patients receive it themselves.

“The practical application of the research is still a long ways away and needs additional funding to develop the technology,” Du said.