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Wednesday, 2nd August 2006 (6235 views)

Scientists have discovered a so-called "bifunctional" coating for gold nanoparticles that will help medical researchers in the treatment of cancer.

Azonano.com notes that the tiny gold particles "have rapidly become a favourite tool of biomedical researchers", but that scientists need to be able to "stably link them to targeting molecules and drugs".

Researchers at Northeastern University's Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnership, led by Dr Mansoor Amiji, have created a linker that can attach gold nanoparticles to other molecules using a form of the polymer polyethylene glycol (PEG).

They managed to do this by swapping an oxygen atom for a sulphur atom at one end of the PEG molecule. Sulphur bonds well with gold and the PEG's remaining end can bond with all kinds of molecules.

The molecule can also be used as a spacer, to provide distance between the gold particle and any attached protein, which could mean better interaction between proteins and their intended biological target.

This development is the latest in a long line that could see the use of gold nanoparticles in oncological treatments stepped up.

Scientists have also found that the tiny yellow-coloured particles could be used to deliver drugs to specific locations within cells.

 

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