The Inna Charitable Foundation continues to study scientific news about oncology. Such knowledge can bring preventive benefit to our readers or help to look at familiar things in a different way. We are sure you will be interested in the results of the study, which is published in the European Journal of Chemistry – Chemistry Europe! It is not yet clear what preventive benefits can be derived from the report by scientists from the Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry at the University of Melbourne and Melbourne Royal Infirmary (Australia). However, it is very interesting! The talk will be about the most mysterious fossil of our planet!
Gold. It would seem to be just an ordinary element (AU) of group 11 of the sixth period of the periodic table of Mendeleev, atomic number 79, atomic mass 196, 9665. Nevertheless, this metal has been driving people crazy throughout human history! Wars started because of it, unique civilisations were destroyed (it is enough to remember pre-Columbian states of Central and South America), until now, in search of the precious substance, gold prospectors scour all corners of the Earth. For thousands of years, the presence of gold has been a measure of wealth and a person’s position in society. Hundreds of myths and legends are devoted to it. In ancient times, gold was called the symbol of the sun. The metal of the Gods. Gold products were used for ceremonial and ritual purposes. Temples were decorated with gold, crowns, symbols of power, elements of clothing and posthumous masks of powerful rulers were made of it.
But, maybe, in ancient times, the wise men – keepers of knowledge assigned gold another role, not related to the mania for enrichment? After all, in the Bible, at first, gold is mentioned not as a measure of material value. Remember how God instructed to make and decorate the Ark of the Covenant? The Ark was to be covered with gold plates. And golden cherubim were to be set on the lid. “I will reveal myself to you and speak to you in the midst of the cherubim,” the Lord instructed Moses. So gold is a metal with special, unusual properties.
By the way, modern scientists claim that gold itself is of extraterrestrial origin! This mysterious material was brought from space to Earth, probably by meteorites a very long time ago – 3, 9 billion years ago. That is, gold does indeed have a celestial, special (Divine?) origin. However, the secrets and mysteries of gold can still be talked about for a long time. But let’s return to the discovery of Australian scientists!
Scientists from Melbourne have found that gold effectively kills cancer cells! In their report, the experts say that they have created and tested four cycloaurinated (from the word aurum – gold) drug complexes for cytotacticity (i.e., the ability to damage) in a wide range of cancer cell lines. It was found that compounds using gold nanoparticles were stable under physiological conditions and excelled at killing cervical cancer cells. Experiments on laboratory mice showed significant inhibition (suppression) of malignant tumour growth. Moreover, such compounds are much more effective than the widely used in modern chemotherapy drug Cisplatin, as they do not affect healthy cells. This gives a huge advantage compared to tralytic treatment – chemotherapy and radiotherapy! In addition (this is important!), the gold particles, penetrating into the body, make the human immune system work in full force! Interestingly, this treatment scheme has shown a significant effect against breast, prostate and skin cancer cells.
The study of anticarcinogenic properties of gold continues! But even the results already obtained and known to us make us once again pay tribute to gold – the symbol of the Sun and the Divine Metal!
