The nanoparticles react to infrared light which they transform into heat. This technique allows them to kill cancer cells without damaging others.
Scientists have dreamed for centuries of finding the method to transform any material into gold. In the United States, researchers have succeeded in turn gold into medicine. Nanoparticles of the precious metal help treat prostate cancer.
Avoid side effects
Prostatectomy is one of the operations to treat prostate cancer. It consists of removing the prostate and seminal vesicles. Some men may experience bothersome side effects after surgery, including erectile dysfunction or urinary incontinence. At Mount Sinai Hospital in New York, researchers are working on alternatives to this operation that would present fewer risks of side effects. In this study, they tested the Aurolase® technology on humans after having validated it on cells in the laboratory and then used it on mice.
An 87.5% successful operation
16 men aged 58 to 79 participated in the research. All had prostate cancer but at different levels of severity. The gold nanoparticles used measure 150 nanometers and are composed of a silica core and a gold shell. When they are subjected to infrared light, they absorb energy to transform it into heat: this kills cancer cells without damaging the tissues surrounding the tumour. After the operation, the participants were followed for twelve months. The Aurolase® technique was effective for 87.5% of them: cancer cells were eradicated. The nanoparticles are naturally evacuated by the body after the operation, some may however remain in the spleen or the liver, but this has no health consequences.
Today, prostate cancer is the most common male cancer in France. It is also the deadliest after lung cancer.
.
