You may already know that particle size is everything when selecting a brand of colloidal silver. Now, Dr. Kenneth K. Y. Wong and Dr. Xuelai Liu at The University of Hong Kong are conducting new research into medical applications for silver, focusing on nano sized particles, as smaller silver particles have more surface area, and thus have a greater ability to interact with their environment.
Now, as bacteria are becoming resistant to antibiotics, research into silver is flourishing. Those like Dr. Wong are trying to discover the mechanisms by which silver works, how it affects mammalian cells, and the extent of its possible applications.
Dr. Wong’s research (in an paper entitled “Silver Nanoparticles-The Real “Silver Bullet” in Clinical Medicine?“) references the use of Gold nanoparticles to treat tumors, silver to treat burns, and silver’s general antibiotic application before the advent of penicillin and modern antibiotics. Some of the data he’s already accumulated points to why silver has been effective in these areas. For example, silver has been found to have anti-inflammatory properties, as evidenced by a lower presence of inflammatory agents on burn wounds treated with Silver Nanoparticles in Dr. Wong’s studies.
Dr. Wong suggests that there is a potential use for silver as an anti-inflammatory agent and an antiviral drug in the medical industry.
To Read More about the science behind Dr. Wong’s research and find out about the potential medical benefits of silver, be sure to read the article. Click Here To Go To Dr. Wong’s Article. (If it’s too dense, know that we’ll be pulling it apart in the coming weeks on this blog).
