So far, the researchers have only tested the TAK779/gold nanoparticle combination in cultured cells. But without the ammonium salt, the drug could be again considered as a potential therapy, though it would require extensive testing before it could be used on patients. "We took a small molecule that isn't active on its own, conjugated it to the gold nanoparticle, and suddenly it's a very good inhibitor of HIV," said Ballard. The next step, according to David Margolis, a study co-author at the University of North Carolina, is to try and fuse other drugs onto gold nanoparticles. Their next effort will be to attach an antiviral drug and a glucose molecule to the nanoparticles and see if they can be transported across the blood-brain barrier, creating a virus-killing drug in the brain, something that hasn't been possible before. "They could potentially use this technique for any small molecule" to fight diseases, said Kimberly Hamad-Schifferli as she read the study. Hamad-Schifferli studies gold nanoparticles at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology but was not involved in the JACS article. "You could take a drug that is not very effective, apply the same technique, and make it much more effective, potentially minimizing its toxic side effects," she said. Related Links: Eric Bland's blog: Interior Design |
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