Potential Of Colloidal Or Silver Nanoparticles To Reduce The Growth Of B16F10 Melanoma Tumors
In this clinical study, published in the African Journal of Microbiology Research in March 2013, the researchers noted, “Previously, we reported the cytotoxic effect of colloidal silver on MCF-7 breast cancer cell line. However, there is scarce information on its antitumor potential. The aim of this study was to evaluate the anti-tumoral activity of colloidal silver or silver nanoparticles in a B16F10 melanoma mice model.” In other words, they induced skin cancer tumors in mice, and then treated them with differing concentrations of colloidal silver and silver nanoparticles.
First, they tested both colloidal silver and silver nanoparticles in vitro (i.e., in the test tube) and found them to be effective at stopping the spread of melanoma cancer cells. Then, they tested both colloidal silver and silver nanoparticles on mice in which melanoma cancer tumors had been induced. They found that by injecting the silver subcutaneously (i.e., under the skin) “melanoma tumor growth was significantly decreased.”
The researchers concluded, “Our results suggest that colloidal silver or silver nanoparticles could be useful as an antiproliferative drug, inducing an impairment of tumoral growth.” In other words, both colloidal silver and silver nanoparticles were found to impair the growth of melanoma tumors.