Friday, 7th March 2008 (4800 views)

A new method of targeting disease-causing micro organisms without damaging healthy tissue has been developed using gold nanoparticles.

Scientists at the University of Technology Sydney have demonstrated how functionalised gold nanoparticles can be used to target the parasitic organism toxoplasma gondiim, infection by which can cause mental retardation, blindness, seizures and death.

A team of researchers from the university's faculty of science are working on a way of using nanoparticles to target the organism while avoiding the tissue damage associated with common medical treatments such as antibiotics and chemotherapy.

PhD student Dakrong Pissuwan and her colleagues believe they are the first to successfully coat gold nanoparticles with antibodies to deal with invasive pathogens.

"We coated gold nanoparticles with an antibody specific to the toxoplasmosis gondii organism in the tachyzoite phase, its fastest growing stage," explained Ms Pissuwan.

In related nanoparticle news, a presentation on the implications of gold nanoparticle research for breast cancer detection is to take place at the 28th Annual Scientific Conference of the American Society for Laser Medicine and Surgery, held in Florida in April.

 

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