Monday, 27th March 2006 (4927 views)

Scientists in the US are using pigs to further the development of gold nanoparticles as a treatment for cancer.

Although pigs do not get cancer, they can be useful in some cancer studies, according to Kattesh V Katti, co-director of the International Institute for Nano and Molecular Medicine at the University of Missouri at Columbia.

Katti and his fellow scientists have received funding from the National Cancer Institute to develop nanotechnology that involves giving pigs a similar dose of gold nanoparticles to that used in humans.

A process involving a nuclear reactor is then enacted, which allows the scientists to track the movement of the tiny gold flecks through the body.

Scientific trials that work well on smaller animals like rats often fail when it comes to transferring the ideas to human studies. However, Katti noted that testing on larger animals such as pigs increases the chances of a therapy working in humans.

"The chances of success [of a clinical trial] going from pigs to humans are astronomically high," he said.

 

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