Researchers have engineered gold-based molecules that target cancer cells and leave healthy cells unharmed, in a critical step towards precision cancer drugs with fewer toxic side effects.
Pre-clinical studies have shown the molecules were up to 24 times more effective at killing cancer cells than the widely used anti-cancer drug cisplatin and were also better at inhibiting tumour growth.
The molecules were also more targeted and selective, making them promising candidates for development into a new class of gold-based drugs that can wipe out the cancer without destroying healthy cells.
Significantly, the synthetic molecules are built with resistance-fighting features to keep them effective over time, unlike current chemotherapies.
Read more at RMIT University
Photo: The Molecular Engineering Group at RMIT: Ganga Reddy Velma, Dr Steven Priver, Distinguished Professor Suresh Bhargava, Dr Neda Mirzadeh, Dr Srinivasareddy Telukutla. CREDIT: RMIT University