Gold beats platinum in treating cancer – study

A new gold-based drug can slow tumour growth in animals by 82 percent and target cancers more selectively than standard chemotherapy drugs based on platinum, according to a study by RMIT University.

Published in the European Journal of Medicinal Chemistry, the study found a new gold-based compound 27 times more potent against cervical cancer cells in the lab than standard chemotherapy drug cisplatin.

It was also 3.5 times more effective against prostate cancer and 7.5 times more effective against fibrosarcoma cells in the lab.

In mice studies, the gold compound reduced cervical cancer tumour growth by 82 percent, compared to cisplatin’s 29 percent.

Project lead at RMIT, Distinguished Professor Suresh Bhargava AM, said this was a promising step towards alternatives to platinum-based cancer drugs.

Bhargava, Director of RMIT’s Centre for Advanced Materials and Industrial Chemistry, said: “These newly synthesised compounds demonstrate remarkable anticancer potential, outperforming current treatments in a number of significant aspects including their selectivity in targeting cancer cells.

“While human trials are still a way off, we are really encouraged by these results.”

The gold-based compound is now protected by a US Patent and ready for further development towards potential clinical application.

While gold shows little or no reaction when encountering other substances, a chemically tailored form known as Gold(I) interacts with an enzyme abundant in cancer cells, known as thioredoxin reductase.

By blocking this protein’s activity, the gold compound effectively shuts down cancer cells before they can multiply or develop drug resistance.

Bhargava said this highly targeted approach minimizes the toxic side effects seen with the platinum-based cisplatin, which targets DNA and damages both healthy and cancerous cells.

“Their selectivity in targeting cancer cells, combined with reduced systemic toxicity, points to a future where treatments are more effective and far less harmful,” Bhargava said.

The RMIT team is collaborating with scientists at the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology (IICT) in Hyderabad under a $2 million Australia-India Strategic Research Fund grant.

“We know that gold is readily accepted by the human body, and we know it has been used for thousands of years in treating various conditions,” Bhargava said.

“Essentially, gold has been market tested, but not scientifically validated.”

In October, Pallion subsidiary ABC Bullion committed an annual donation of 250 grams of pure Australian gold – valued at more than AUD $30,000 – to support the research.

Picture: RMIT/Distinguished Professor Suresh Bhargava