Can gold help cure cancer?

A groundbreaking study from the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT) revealed a promising gold-based drug for cancer treatment.

Published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, the research showed that the drug reduced tumor growth by 82% in animal models, outperforming conventional chemotherapy in targeting cancer cells.

The new gold compound is 27 times more effective against cervical cancer cells than the widely used chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

It also proves to be 3.5 times more effective against prostate cancer and 7.5 times more potent against fibrosarcoma.

The compound's effectiveness lies in its ability to interact with thioredoxin reductase, an enzyme prevalent in cancer cells.

The gold drug prevents cancer cells by blocking this enzyme and preventing them from multiplying.

Lead researcher Suresh Bhargava AM said this discovery could lead to safer and more effective cancer treatments by reducing the toxic side effects associated with cisplatin.

Unlike other gold compounds, the said drug remains intact while traveling to the tumor site.

Project co-lead Magdalena Plebanski explained that the compound also prevents the growth of new blood vessels that tumors need to thrive.

This process, known as anti-angiogenesis, is a unique feature of the gold-based drug.

While human trials have yet to be made, the gold-based compound is now patented in the US and ready for further development toward clinical use.