Technology
RMIT Research Project: Exploring Gold as Future Metallodrugs for Cancer Treatment
Pallion understands that gold’s uses extend far beyond the financial and is proud to support a ground-breaking research project at The Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology (RMIT).
Global data reveals that 10 million deaths are attributed to cancer annually. In Australia alone, approximately 49,500 deaths were reported in 2018. Looking ahead, projections for 2040 anticipate nearly 30 million new cancer cases and 16 million cancer-related deaths worldwide, underscoring the pressing need for a cure.
Today, nearly 50% of cancer patients who receive chemotherapy are treated with platinum anticancer drugs, emphasising the critical role these compounds play in cancer treatment. However, beyond the mortality rates, the severe side effects associated with the leading cancer drugs significantly diminish the quality of life for many cancer patients. Furthermore, the persistent natural and acquired resistance observed in numerous cancer tumours challenges the dominance of current cancer drugs over the past 44 years, highlighting the need for innovative alternatives.
In this landscape, gold-based metallodrugs emerge as a real hope, drawing strength from their historical use in Ayurveda, Iranian and Chinese medicine spanning the past 5000 years. Notably, gold’s biocompatibility positions it as a promising avenue for advancing cancer therapeutics, providing a potential breakthrough that holds the promise of transforming treatment paradigms.
RMIT’s gold drug compounds have advanced through several testing phases, exhibiting remarkable anticancer activity. They have proven effective in selectively targeting and eradicating cancer cells across various cancer cell lines. Researchers and students from across the globe have expressed a keen interest in this research project. Pallion through subsidiary ABC Refinery is very proud to be supplying the pure 99.99% Australian gold to facilitate this pioneering research.