Gold ions bio-released from metallic gold particles reduce inflammation and apoptosis and increase the regenerative responses in focal brain injury

The authors have shown that implants of pure gold release gold ions that do not spread in the body but are absorbed by cells near the implant. They “hypothesize that metallic gold could reduce local neuroinflammation in a safe way”. Bio-release or “dissolucytosis” of gold ions from pure gold require the presence of “dissolucytes”, i.e. macrophages, whose number and activity limit the process.

The authors injected gold particles of 20–45 m into the neocortex of mice and then generated a cryo-injury. Comparison of the cryo-lesions without and with preceding gold treatment showed that the release of gold ions “reduced microgliosis and neuronal apoptosis accompanied by a transient astrogliosis and an increased neural stem cell response.”

The authors conclude that bio-released gold ions “possess pronounced anti-inflammatory and neuron-protective capacities in the brain” and they “suggest that metallic gold has clinical potential”. They consider the application of metallic gold in the brain “as a pharmaceutical source of gold ions”, this constituting “a completely new medical concept that bypasses the blood-brain-barrier and allows direct drug delivery to inflamed brain tissue”.
 

Agnete Larsen, Kristian Kolind, Dan Sonne Pedersen, Peter Doering, Mie Østergaard Pedersen, Gorm Danscher, Milena Penkowa, Meredin Stoltenberg: Gold ions bio-released from metallic gold particles reduce inflammation and apoptosis and increase the regenerative responses in focal brain injury. Histochem Cell Biol (2008) 130(4):681–692, https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00418-008-0448-1 .