Gilded Hope for Medicine

Gold is emerging as a potential therapeutic agent in the treatment of arthritis, cancer and AIDS. The therapeutic mechanism of arthritic gold drugs and their modification in the presence of stomach hydrochloric acid, in the joints, and in the presence of mild and strong oxidizing agents is a matter of debate. It is believed that gold affects the entire immune response and reduces its potency and limits its oxidizing nature. DNA apparently is not the main target of gold in cancer treatment. Rheumatoid arthritis, cancer, heart diseases and recently AIDS have all been targeted with gold nanoparticles therapy. The era of gold nanoparticles started with cancer imaging and treatment studies. Gold nanoparticles have emerged as smart drug vehicles