Contribution regarding the fundamental mode of action of gold: gold compounds can alleviate the symptoms of rheumatic arthritis

The treatment using gold salts is a traditional therapy for joint diseases. Their drawback in comparison with gold implantation is that strong salts are inserted into the body, which produces corresponding side effects. However, the convenient advantage for studies lies in the fact that gold salts are water-soluble, and so are suitable for experiments with cell cultures.

In this study, carried out by researchers around Dr. Ulf Andersson of the Karolinska Institute in Stockholm, it has been shown that sodium aurothiomalate, a gold salt compound, has an inhibiting effect on the release of HMGB1. HMGB1 is a protein involved in the emergence of numerous rheumatic diseases.

The study showed that the observed effect originated from the gold, not from the salt portion of the compound. Other gold compounds such as gold chloride also generate an inhibiting effect on HMGB1, while adding sodium thiomalate (without gold) has no effect.

Even if the treatment with gold salts, due to their strong side effects, cannot be equated directly with gold implantation, the study nevertheless demonstrates the fundamental effect of gold on inflammatory processes.

Link to study: https://jlb.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1189/jlb.0507323