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Gold as a Cure for Cancer

Since ancient times gold has been a highly valued precious metal. This rare metallic element that is found in natural settings is often used in jewelry and coins. At one time dentists used gold as material for fillings and crowns. There have been several promising studies in recent years that indicate gold particles may help attack malignant cells and cure cancer.

  1. Egyptian Studies

    • In July 2009 a group of scientists from Egypt's National Research Center announced the successful application of gold particle treatments on cancer of the breast, skin and leukemia (cancer of the blood.)

      Dr. Mustafa el-Sayed is an Egyptian-American chemical physicist who led the study. He reported that gold particles are provided by using nanotechnology. The procedure manipulates atoms, molecules, and materials to form structures on the scale of nanometer, one billionth of a meter.

      If approved by the Ministry of Health, Dr. Sayedis said experiments on humans may begin in as few as five years.

    Nanoparticles Attack Maligant Cells

    • According to the National Cancer Institute, A father-and-son team of researchers from the University of California, San Francisco, and Georgia Institute of Technology found that when targeted gold nanoparticles were united with a succeeding laser treatment, oral cancer cells were destroyed.

      The study was conducted by oncologist Ivan El-Sayed, M.D., at University of Califiornia, San Francisco, and physical chemist Mostafa El-Sayed, Ph.D., at the Georgia Institute of Technology.

      The findings of their study are published in the journal "Cancer Letters."

    Further Research

    • Scientists at Cancer Research-UK at the School of Pharmacy in London have developed a technique of using genes wrapped in nanoparticles as a means of selectively targeting cancerous cells.

      Lead scientist Dr. Andreas Schatzlein said nanotechnology shows "great potential."

      Meanwhile, in the United States., researchers at Brown University have developed a gold nanoparticle that exclusively attacks unhealthy or abnormal cells.

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