Gold-based nanocrystals for medical treatments and electrochemical manufacturing processes therefor

• Main Authors: Mortenson Mark Gordon, Bryce David A, Lockett Anthony, Merzliakov Mikhail, Pierce D. Kyle, Wilcox Reed N, Dorfman Adam R
• Format: Patent
• Language: English
• Published: 28.03.2017
• Subjects: AFTER-TREATMENT OF SINGLE CRYSTALS OR A HOMOGENEOUSPOLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITH DEFINED STRUCTURE; APPARATUS THEREFOR; CASTING; CHEMISTRY; CRYSTAL GROWTH; HUMAN NECESSITIES; HYGIENE; MAKING METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OF ARTICLES FROM METALLIC POWDER; MANUFACTURE OR TREATMENT OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEASUREMENT OR ANALYSIS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; METALLURGY; NANOTECHNOLOGY; PERFORMING OPERATIONS; POWDER METALLURGY; PREPARATIONS FOR MEDICAL, DENTAL, OR TOILET PURPOSES; PRODUCTION OF A HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; REFINING BY ZONE-MELTING OF MATERIAL; SINGLE CRYSTALS OR HOMOGENEOUS POLYCRYSTALLINE MATERIAL WITHDEFINED STRUCTURE; SINGLE-CRYSTAL-GROWTH; SPECIFIC USES OR APPLICATIONS OF NANOSTRUCTURES; TRANSPORTING; UNIDIRECTIONAL SOLIDIFICATION OF EUTECTIC MATERIAL ORUNIDIRECTIONAL DEMIXING OF EUTECTOID MATERIAL; WORKING METALLIC POWDER

The present invention relates to novel gold nanocrystals and nanocrystal shape distributions that have surfaces that are substantially free from organic impurities or films. Specifically, the surfaces are "clean" relative to the surfaces of gold nanoparticles made using chemical reduction processes that require organic reductants and/or surfactants to grow gold nanoparticles from gold ions in solution. The invention includes novel electrochemical manufacturing apparatuses and techniques for making the gold-based nanocrystals. The invention further includes pharmaceutical compositions thereof and the use of the gold nanocrystals or suspensions or colloids thereof for the treatment or prevention of diseases or conditions for which gold therapy is already known and more generally for conditions resulting from pathological cellular activation, such as inflammatory (including chronic inflammatory) conditions, autoimmune conditions, hypersensitivity reactions and/or cancerous diseases or conditions In one embodiment, the condition is mediated by MIF (macrophage migration inhibiting factor).