Cancer is a devastating illness that affects countless people worldwide, and although medical technology has advanced, finding a cure for cancer remains a significant challenge. Nanotechnology has opened up new avenues for cancer treatment, offering hope for advancements.
According to Phys.org, Stevens Institute of Technology, and Hackensack Meridian Health, researchers and physicians have created a gold nanoparticle-based medication delivery system that can accurately deliver pharmaceuticals to tumors while decreasing the danger of system-wide adverse effects.
Breast Cancer (Ductal Carcinoma)
New Method of Drug Delivery to Tumors
The team of researchers described their new method for delivering drugs more accurately using gold nanoparticles coated with hyaluronic acid in a paper titled "Targeted Lymphoma Therapy Using a Gold Nanoframework-Based Drug Delivery System," which was published in ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces.
The process involves packing drugs into a porous gold nano-framework and then sealing them inside by applying a hyaluronic acid coating. The resulting nanoparticle only releases its drug payload when it binds to hyaluronic acid receptors on the surface of a lymphoma tumor. The use of gold as a delivery material means that drugs can be delivered more precisely, resulting in fewer toxic side effects.
As per a similar report from Technology Networks, the targeted drug delivery system delivers drugs selectively, with minimal leakage into the bloodstream. This means fewer medications may be used to treat a tumor, lowering the chance of harmful side effects.
The scientists discovered no measurable quantities of pharmaceuticals in the circulation in animal trials, even though the compounds they administered normally caused detectable toxicity in 50% of participants.
Animal studies revealed that lymphoma tumors reacted significantly better to targeted drug delivery than non-targeted therapies, implying that novel treatment methods for human cancer patients might be devised.
Gold nanoparticles have other advantages over free-floating drug molecules. They continue to circulate in the bloodstream for longer, meaning that patients who currently receive daily treatments might be able to switch to weekly or bi-weekly regimens.
The stability of gold also makes it ideal for drug delivery, as the nanoparticles remain intact until they reach the target site. The researchers distributed medications considerably more accurately and got far better clinical outcomes by employing this strategy, as they said.
Gold Nanoparticles, a Promising Approach in Treating Cancer
Gold nanoparticles can potentially improve the efficacy of radiation therapy against cancer, Life Technology reported. These tiny particles can absorb radiation and convert it into heat, which can be utilized to destroy malignant cells without harming the normal ones. This technique, called "nanoparticle-mediated hyperthermia," has successfully treated various types of cancer.
Moreover, gold nanoparticles can also be customized to carry different drugs to target cancer cells. Hence, these nanoparticles can deliver diverse cancer-fighting agents like immunotherapy agents, chemotherapy drugs, and gene therapies.
The use of gold nanoparticles in cancer treatment is a promising avenue with immense possibility for the future, although further research is required to understand the full potential of this technology.
Taken together, the application of gold nanoparticles in cancer therapy is a promising advancement that has the potential to transform the current state of cancer treatment. Those undergoing cancer treatment can potentially reap the benefits of this technology in the near future.
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