A new cancer therapy may be worth its weight in gold -- literally. Researchers found that gold nanoparticles, used in conjunction with a compound found in tea leaves, may treat cancer better than chemotherapy, according to a study published in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
While chemotherapy is effective, the chemicals spread to other parts of the body and can damage vital organs. Researchers said that the new gold/tea treatment requires doses that are thousands of times smaller than needed for chemotherapy. In addition, the compounds target the tumor directly and cause no harm to any other parts of the body.
To make the gold nanoparticles deadly against tumors, they were given radioactive properties, researchers said.
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