Clinical trials show gold nanocrystals resulted in functional improvements for patients with multiple sclerosis and Parkinson’s

cyu@sh.itjust.works to Technology@lemmy.ml – 50 points –
Gold nanoparticles reverse brain deficits in multiple sclerosis, Parkinson’s
utsouthwestern.edu
6

Reminds me of that South Park episode.

"Hey, poor people, we have the cure for Parkinson's, it's gold! Hurray!"

Here's the journal article itself

This whole thing stinks of advertising. They use a sample size of 24 people. The results are underwhelming: "Each disease cohort concordantly demonstrated increases in the NAD+/NADH ratio but did not reach significance individually" ("when we massaged the numbers, the result we wanted popped out"). Looking at the graphs, it looks like the upper half (highest baselines) of the patients worsened over the 12 week study.

My favorite lines?

"The objective of the Phase 2 REPAIR-MS and REPAIR-PD clinical trials was to investigate the effects of CNM-Au8" and "CNM-Au8® is a suspension of faceted, clean-surfaced gold nanocrystals" and course:

"Clene Nanomedicine, Inc., funded this study."

Is the crystal structure pertinent to the treatment or can they just be nanoparticles?

None of the above. This study is as fishy as they come

So we've extracted so much gold from the earth there's not enough left for our bodies?

I know this probably isn't the case, but the image of extracting precious metals from human tissue solely to squeeze every last drop out of nature is hilarious to me. Plausible, but hilarious nonetheless. Mine owners leaving toxic lakes in the middle of Parkinson's patients when the earth runs out of gold.