![]() Particle characterization forms an important aspect of nanoparticle R&D and QC in which routine analysis is performed during intermediary and endpoint formulation stages to ensure particles are homogenous in diameter and there are no aggregates present in the dispersion. Controlling the particle size of colloidal gold is therefore of great importance to ensure treatments meet performance and safety criteria in vivo. In this last area, gold nanoparticles are being developed to provide sophisticated delivery mechanisms for a range of conventional and novel treatments, from oral insulin administration to targeted cancer drugs and DNA conjugates for advanced gene therapies.Īs with all particulate therapeutics, the pharmacokinetic properties of colloidal gold conjugates, such as bioavailability and clinical efficacy, are strongly influenced by particle size. These unique physical properties are currently being exploited for a variety of biomedical applications, including their use as imaging probes, diagnostic agents, and for advanced drug delivery. Furthermore, gold nanoparticles suspended within aqueous media form negatively charged ions that have a strong affinity for biological macromolecules, such as proteins and antibodies, which form biological ligands around the ion. Its chemical and physical inertness ensure the material is toxicologically safe in vivo, while its fine size allows particles to cross a cell membrane without harming the cell. Beyond these conventional therapies, modern interest in gold lies in its colloidal form.Ī number of properties of colloidal gold make it well-suited for nanomaterial-based clinical applications. ![]() Fast forward another 100 years, and gold salts are now routinely administered for the treatment and management of rheumatic arthritis. However, it wasn’t until the 18th century that the antibacterial properties of gold cyano salts were discovered. Experimental data are presented to illustrate how advanced Dynamic Light Scattering (DLS) techniques deliver these measurements for colloidal gold in the nanosized and sub-nanosized ranges.ĪLL THAT GLITTERS: A BRIEF HISTORY OF GOLD THERAPYīelief in the therapeutic properties of gold can be traced back to ancient times. This article explores the importance of particle size in biomedical nanotechnology. ![]() In this way, gold nanoparticles are set to play an important role as a platform for novel intracellular delivery vehicles and controlling nanoparticle size throughout the formulation process, which is crucial to defining this functionality. Taking drug delivery as an example, manipulation of the unique chemical, physical, and electronic properties of colloidal gold enables researchers to develop drug-nanoparticle conjugates for targeted drug delivery, improving a drug’s biodistribution and pharmacokinetics within specific biological targets, such as diseased tissue or cancerous cells. Nanosized colloidal gold has great potential in multiple therapeutic and biotechnology applications. In commercial terms, the result of this carefully fostered research is that by 2015, the market for biomedical nanotechnology is expected to exceed $70 billion.1 In practical terms, this suggests a potentially transformative shift in the way diseases are targeted and treated. ![]() Today, the maturation of a decade’s worth of investment into nanotechnology is seeing nanomedical materials steadily emerge into clinical and medical practice. ![]()
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