Cellular Uptake and Toxicity of Au₅₅ Clusters

Gold clusters (Au55) have been shown to interact with DNA (see image). Armed with this knowledge, experiments have shown that such clusters are shown to have significant toxicity towards many types of human cells, both healthy and cancerous, in contrast to previously studied larger gold nanoparticles. It is hoped, therefore, that there is a future for Au55 clusters in the treatment of certain cancers.