Gold Nanoparticles Deliver Alpha Particles to Tumors

Feb-09-13 Researchers have developed gold nanoparticles able to deliver a cancer-fighting alpha particle directly to a tumor, keeping damage to neighboring healthy tissue at a minimum.

Conventional cancer treatments usually rely on beta particles, because although alpha particles have the highest ionizing power they are difficult to contain in a specific location. To harness the power of alpha particles, scientists began with the element actinium, which produces alpha particles as it decays. They surrounded the actinium with four layers of material followed by a gold coating, resulting in a nanoparticle able to contain the actinium long enough for the alpha particles to be released right next to the target tumor.

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[MEDGADGET.COM]
[UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI]

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