New Tool: ProSource
Checkout our packaging and processing solutions finder, ProSource.

Growing Gold Inside a Tumor Can Kill Cancer Cells. Wait, What?

The method grows gold nanoparticles in the body that can help with imaging, and be heated up to kill the tumors.

A recent New Atlas article discussed an innovative new cancer treatment that sounds more like alchemy than medicine. Fighting cancer with gold isn’t a new concept; scientists have used a variety of nanoparticle structures in the past, but the issue is getting them inside the tumors. The new method solves this by growing the gold directly inside the cancer cells, which is quicker and requires a lower concentration of gold than previous methods.


See it Live at PACK EXPO Connects Nov. 9-13: BlisterMate Semi-Automated Blister Machine, by Pharmaworks LLC. Preview the Showroom Here.


The team behind the method used polyethylene glycol as a delivery vector for ionic gold. When it meets the cancer, the acidic microenvironment converts the gold from an ionic form to plasmonic gold particles in as little as 30 minutes. The concept was tested in mice by growing gold nanoparticles inside the tumors, and then heating them with lasers to kill the cancer cells.

How to Honor a Leader
Induction into the Packaging & Processing Hall of Fame is the highest honor in our industry. Submit your leader to be considered for the Class of 2024 now through June 10th. New members will be inducted at PACK EXPO International in Chicago.
Read More
How to Honor a Leader
Test Your Supply Chain Smarts
Take Healthcare Packaging's supply chain quiz to prove your knowledge!
Read More
Test Your Supply Chain Smarts