“Gold is extremely biocompatible and one reason is that it is highly
resistant to corrosion,” says Dr Richard Holliday, director of
technology at the World Gold Council. “An obvious example of this is
when gold coins are found on a sea bed after hundreds of years and are
still the same colour as they always were. “If you are going to put
something inside the body, that is exactly the kind of characteristic
you want.” So how much do we rely on gold to help us fight common
conditions and stay healthy?
Rheumatoid arthritis
One of the earliest medical uses of gold was in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that affects around 350,000 people in the UK. A drug called Auranofin, made from gold, was first introduced in the UK in 1985 and given either as an injection or a tablet. It works by suppressing the overreaction in the immune system that causes painful swollen joints. To this day, however, it is not clear exactly how gold manages to do this. It can take several months of treatment before it has any significant effect.
Heart implants
Tiny tube-like implants called stents have revolutionised treatment of heart disease in the past 20 years and gold has played a key part in that process. Stents are collapsible tubes that are fed into the body through a vein in the leg. Once they reach the area round the heart where an artery is diseased or blocked, they are opened up like an umbrella so that they can prop up blood vessel walls and allow blood to flow normally to the heart. The reason gold is sometimes used is when manoeuvring stents deep inside the body it is vital doctors locate them in precisely the right place. If they are gold-plated, they show up much more easily on an X-ray than other metal types.
Pregnancy tests
Millions of pregnancy tests carried out each year would probably not work without gold. That’s because the metal can be broken down into tiny nanoparticles which remain highly stable during the chemical reaction that changes the colour of a testing strip to give a positive or negative result. “You can attach lots of different molecules to gold nanoparticles without them becoming unstable,” says Dr Holliday.
Eye disorders
When someone suffers damage in or around the face it can affect the nerves that control movement of the eyelid. This often means the eye does not shut properly. One of the most common treatments is to implant tiny pieces of gold that are designed to match the curve of the eyelid. The implants are carefully weighed so that they are heavy enough to help the eye shut but not so heavy they prevent it opening again.
Cancer
As well as guiding radiotherapy in prostate cancer, gold is also being tested to see if it can boost chemotherapy treatment. Tiny particles, each one measuring a fraction of the width of a human hair, are attached to individual molecules of a chemotherapy drug and injected into the body. Because gold is biocompatible,it effectively smuggles the medicine past the body’s immune system without being destroyed and penetrates deep inside tumours.
The new technique, being developed at Rice University in Houston, Texas, could reduce some of the more unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy by delivering more of the toxic medicine into the tumour rather than into healthy cells. Many chemotherapy patients experience hair loss, nausea and increased risk of infections because the toxic drugs suppress their immune system.
Ear surgery
For decades, gold has been used to make implants used for surgery on the middle ear damaged by injury or disease. This is because, as well as its biocompatibility, gold appears to have powerful infection-fighting properties. Any bacteria that might penetrate the ear are likely to be killed off by gold’s anti-microbial powers before doing any serious damage.
Gold Is Great Because…
Gold in Healing
Gold’s role in increasing blood circulation has made healers look at it as heart-friendly.
In olden days, pregnant women were made to wear a gold chain around the abdomen, to influence the fetal heart and the body fluids of the mother.
For a long time now, gold has been a component of certain drugs that treat rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed to reduce swelling and bring down the pain associated with joint disease.
Golden Nugget
In Renaissance Venice, guests were served gold-covered, sugared almonds after meals to strengthen the heart, protect against rheumatism, and show off the hosts’ riches!
Rheumatoid arthritis
One of the earliest medical uses of gold was in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis, a condition that affects around 350,000 people in the UK. A drug called Auranofin, made from gold, was first introduced in the UK in 1985 and given either as an injection or a tablet. It works by suppressing the overreaction in the immune system that causes painful swollen joints. To this day, however, it is not clear exactly how gold manages to do this. It can take several months of treatment before it has any significant effect.
Heart implants
Tiny tube-like implants called stents have revolutionised treatment of heart disease in the past 20 years and gold has played a key part in that process. Stents are collapsible tubes that are fed into the body through a vein in the leg. Once they reach the area round the heart where an artery is diseased or blocked, they are opened up like an umbrella so that they can prop up blood vessel walls and allow blood to flow normally to the heart. The reason gold is sometimes used is when manoeuvring stents deep inside the body it is vital doctors locate them in precisely the right place. If they are gold-plated, they show up much more easily on an X-ray than other metal types.
Pregnancy tests
Millions of pregnancy tests carried out each year would probably not work without gold. That’s because the metal can be broken down into tiny nanoparticles which remain highly stable during the chemical reaction that changes the colour of a testing strip to give a positive or negative result. “You can attach lots of different molecules to gold nanoparticles without them becoming unstable,” says Dr Holliday.
Eye disorders
When someone suffers damage in or around the face it can affect the nerves that control movement of the eyelid. This often means the eye does not shut properly. One of the most common treatments is to implant tiny pieces of gold that are designed to match the curve of the eyelid. The implants are carefully weighed so that they are heavy enough to help the eye shut but not so heavy they prevent it opening again.
Cancer
As well as guiding radiotherapy in prostate cancer, gold is also being tested to see if it can boost chemotherapy treatment. Tiny particles, each one measuring a fraction of the width of a human hair, are attached to individual molecules of a chemotherapy drug and injected into the body. Because gold is biocompatible,it effectively smuggles the medicine past the body’s immune system without being destroyed and penetrates deep inside tumours.
The new technique, being developed at Rice University in Houston, Texas, could reduce some of the more unpleasant side effects of chemotherapy by delivering more of the toxic medicine into the tumour rather than into healthy cells. Many chemotherapy patients experience hair loss, nausea and increased risk of infections because the toxic drugs suppress their immune system.
Ear surgery
For decades, gold has been used to make implants used for surgery on the middle ear damaged by injury or disease. This is because, as well as its biocompatibility, gold appears to have powerful infection-fighting properties. Any bacteria that might penetrate the ear are likely to be killed off by gold’s anti-microbial powers before doing any serious damage.
Gold Is Great Because…
- It has anti-bacterial properties.
- It is anti-inflammatory. It fights UV damage and fades sunspots and age spots.
- It slows down the depletion of collagen and elastin, keeping skin younger longer.
- It stimulates cellular growth at the base level. The result: skin tightens, and the appearance of fine lines and wrinkles is reduced.
- It helps to transport oxygen molecules directly into the skin, helping to revitalize it and keep it looking youthful. In fact, pure gold actually helps to reverse oxidation damage that results from our daily exposure to pollutants and toxins.
- Gold stimulates lymphatic drainage and blood circulation. Several popular spa treatments are based on this beauty benefit of gold. Also, powder-fine gold can help absorb pollutants, regulate the skin’s ionic balance, and impart a fresh glow.
- Cleopatra is believed to have slept in a gold mask every night. So there’s another secret of that elusive queen’s supple, radiant skin!
- In ancient Rome, gold salves were used for treating of a variety of skin problems.
- The queen of China’s ancient Ch’ing dynasty used a gold massage roller on her face every day.
Gold in Healing
Gold’s role in increasing blood circulation has made healers look at it as heart-friendly.
In olden days, pregnant women were made to wear a gold chain around the abdomen, to influence the fetal heart and the body fluids of the mother.
For a long time now, gold has been a component of certain drugs that treat rheumatoid arthritis. It is believed to reduce swelling and bring down the pain associated with joint disease.
Golden Nugget
In Renaissance Venice, guests were served gold-covered, sugared almonds after meals to strengthen the heart, protect against rheumatism, and show off the hosts’ riches!
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