Scientists from Kaliningrad have discovered that gold nanoparticles covered with a thin layer of silica scatter light better than those with a dense coating. Their bright «glow» allows you to better track the movement of drugs in the body with the help of special devices.
In modern medicine, a system of targeted drug delivery is actively developing: the drug is transported with the help of special carriers to a precisely defined place, for example, to a tumor. This avoids the damage and death of healthy cells and tissues.
One possible drug delivery system involves the use of gold nanoparticles to which drug particles are attached. This design is covered with a special coating that protects the drug from being released too early. In addition, antibodies are attached to it — protein molecules that direct the particles to the right place.
The project was implemented on the basis of the North-West Center for Mathematical Research named after Zofia Kowalewska, created as part of the national project «Science and Universities».
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