Friday, 7th July 2006 (4755 views)

Scientists have discovered a potential new use for gold in the treatment of cancer.

A nano-sized pH meter has been created, which converts laser light into information and could potentially measure pH changes inside living tissue and cells, photonics.com reports.

The researchers who made the discovery were led by Naomi Halas, director of Rice's Laboratory for Nanophotonics in Houston, Texas.

"Almost every biologist I speak with comes up with one or two things they'd like to measure with this," she said.

The pH meter could be used to carry out non-invasive "optical biopsies", which could in turn be used to determine whether or not cancer cells are malignant.

Gold is used to coat a core of non-conducting silica inside so-called nanoshells, which are optically-tuned nanoparticles.

The pH sensor is formed when the nanoshells are doused with pH-sensitive molecules of paramercaptobenzoic acid.

The research has been published in the journal Nano Letters.

Other recent developments making use of gold nanoparticles to target cancerous cells include the creation of vapour microbubbles that can destroy leukaemia cells.

 

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