Gold, tea may help treat prostate cancer

A compound in tea delivered via radioactive gold nanoparticles may be an effective treatment for prostate cancer, U.S. researchers suggest. Ravi Shuklaa of the University of Missouri and colleagues said the nanoparticles containing the tea compound circumvented transport barriers and destroyed the prostate tumors effectively. The radioactive gold particle was sufficiently long to provide cross-fire effects of a radiation dose delivered to cells within the prostate gland, and short enough to minimize the radiation dose to critical tissues near the periphery of the capsule -- resulting in fewer side effects compared to chemotherapy. Shuklaa said the particles were the right size. If they were smaller they could leave the tumor and spread to other parts of the body, damaging other organs. The research in mice showed approximately 72 percent retention of treatment in tumors 24 hours after tumor administration. Therapeutic studies showed 80 percent reduction of tumor volumes after 28 days demonstrating significant inhibition of tumor growth compared to controls. The findings were published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Science.