A promising new form of treatment for prostate cancer treatment in dogs could turn out to be pure gold for humans as well.

Researchers at the University of Missouri are busy proving the safety and efficacy of gold nanoparticles as a weapon to seek out and destroy prostate cancer tumors in dogs, according to wired.co.uk. So far, the scientists have observed no harmful side effects during their treatment of the dogs with prostate cancer.

The process involves coating radioactive gold nanoparticles with gum arabic to keep them from aggregating so they are able to travel through the tumor without clumping together. Researchers then introduce the nanoparticles to the tumor using guiding injection.

Once the nanoparticles have reached the tumor, that’s when they really begin to demonstrate their effectiveness, according to the article.

Scientists have reported that the treatment has caused tumors in laboratory mice to shrink, and dogs that are undergoing nanoparticle treatment have so far exhibited no negative side effects.

Sandra Axiak-Bechtel, an assistant oncology professor at the University of Missouri, told wired.co.uk, "We have found no statistically significant differences in bloodwork parameters for bone marrow, kidneys, and liver. In dogs that had a CT scan four weeks after treatment, there was no evidence of tumor swelling or infection."

In addition to being good news for the health of cancer-stricken dogs, the study represents a potentially groundbreaking form of treatment for men with prostate cancer. Dogs are the only other mammal that develops prostate cancer, and because they are tolerating the gold nanoparticle treatment well, it could bode well for future positive results for men.

Read the full article at wired.co.uk