Gold nanoparticles could help make drugs act more quickly and effectively, according to new research conducted at Binghamton University, State University of New York.

Nanoparticles are microscopic particles that are bigger than atoms but smaller than what the eye can see. They are unique for their large surface area-to-volume ratio and their fairly ubiquitous nature. A new study (Nanotoxicology, “Nanoparticle size-specific actin rearrangement and barrier dysfunction of endothelial cells”), co-conducted by Binghamton University Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering Amber Doiron, is one of the first of its kind to look deeper into these nanoparticles in regards to health.

“Nanoparticles are a huge area of research in the scientific community right now. However, they’re not yet well understood for their impact on human health,” said Doiron.

“Nanoparticles have unique properties and, because of that, are used in many applications. They’re in your food and may get into your bloodstream through environmental exposure. Eventually, they may be used for helping to get drugs to tissues or as imaging agents. We wanted to investigate how nanoparticles interact with human cells,” added Doiron.

Image Credit:  Binghamton University, State University of New York 

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