Gold and cerium nanoparticles against type 2 diabetes

Scientists have evaluated the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions of gold and cerium nanoparticles in patients with type 2 diabetes.

The study demonstrates that gold and cerium (Au/CeO2) nanoparticles with a gold content of only 0.82% exert antioxidant and anti-inflammatory actions on the leukocyte-endothelium interaction of patients with type 2 diabetes. Thus, a protective role is created against the appearance of atherosclerosis and cardiovascular diseases.

The work has been carried out by the INCLIVA Health Research Institute, of the Clinical Hospital of Valencia, the University of Valencia (UV), the Foundation for the Promotion of Health and Biomedical Research of the Valencian Community (Fisabio), the University Hospital Doctor Peset and the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) in collaboration with the Center for Networked Biomedical Research (CIBER), in Spain.

Leukocyte-endothelium interactions are a series of processes that take place when leukocytes, also known as white blood cells, move through the endothelial layer that lines blood vessels in search of sites of inflammation or infection. These interactions are an essential part of the immune system and play an important role in protecting the body against infection and disease.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of gold and cerium nanoparticles (Au/CeO2), with different degrees of gold purity (10, 4.4, 1.79 and 0.82%) on leukocyte- endothelium and inflammation in patients with type 2 diabetes. Its principal investigator is Víctor Manuel Víctor González, a member of the Biomedical Research Center for Liver and Digestive Diseases Network (CIBEREHD) and of the INCLIVA vascular function research group (coordinated by Dr. José María Vila Salinas), as well as the Group Underlying Molecular Mechanisms in Diabesity, of Fisabio in collaboration with the Doctor Peset Hospital.

Research team members. (Photo: CIBER)

The prospective and observational study was carried out in a cohort of 57 patients with type 2 diabetes (cared for at the Endocrinology Service of the Doctor Peset University Hospital in Valencia and diagnosed according to the criteria of the American Diabetes Association) and 51 healthy people.

Among others, Susana Rovira-Llopis, from the UV; Hermenegildo García, from the Institute of Chemical Technology (ITQ), a joint center of the Polytechnic University of Valencia (UPV) and the Higher Council for Scientific Research (CSIC); and Pedro Díaz Pozo and Milagros Rocha Barajas, both from Fisabio-Hospital Doctor Peset. The participating research staff is linked to the CIBER in its Liver and Digestive Diseases section (CIBEREHD) as well as in the Bioengineering, Biomaterials and Nanomedicine section (CIBERBBN).

Type 2 diabetes is a serious health problem worldwide, since its prevalence is increasing and implies a reduction in life expectancy.

Oxidative stress and mitochondrial impairment have been linked to the development of insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and cardiometabolic diseases. Oxidative stress occurs when there is an imbalance between the production of free radicals and the body’s ability to fight them with antioxidants. It causes health problems, such as premature aging, heart disease, certain types of cancer, and other chronic diseases.

The use of nanoparticles in biomedicine is growing, with a wide variety of potential applications, including antioxidant therapy, bioimaging, and drug delivery. Among the different types of nanoparticles, cerium (CeO2) nanoparticles are especially promising due to their versatility, biocompatibility, and physicochemical properties.

Additionally, CeO2 has been shown to have antioxidant properties and can be used to combat oxidative stress. This antioxidant capacity can be increased when the nanoparticles are combined with certain metals, such as silver, platinum, or gold. To achieve maximum antioxidant activity, gold nanoparticles need to have a diameter of a few nanometers, with a narrow size distribution, and to be stable against agglomeration. This is achieved by properly depositing the gold particles on the surface of the cerium oxide that acts as a support. For this reason, the work is multidisciplinary and requires a team with the capacity to prepare this type of material such as the ITQ.

Although the etiology of insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes is complex, different studies supported the potential of gold nanoparticles as antioxidants in models of type 2 diabetes, among others, but whether they could provide benefits to those who suffer from this disease.

The study is titled “Gold nanoparticles supported on ceria nanoparticles modulate leukocyte-endothelium cell interactions and inflammation in Type 2 Diabetes”. And it has been published in the academic journal Antioxidants. (Source: CIBER)