New Research Shatters Old Beliefs About Gold Nanoparticles and Cancer

Research overturns old views on gold nanoparticles, showing larger, star-shaped ones are most effective against cancer, leading to a model that improves therapy design.

Scientists have previously assumed that the smaller the nanoparticles used to fight the cancer cells, the faster they die. The logic behind this theory is that small nanoparticles would simply find it easier to penetrate the interior of a cancer cell, where their presence would lead to metabolic disturbances and ultimately cell death.

Now, researchers have used a novel microscopic technique to uncover a more interesting, complex picture of these interactions.