Gold nanoparticles to save neurons from cell death

An international research team coordinated by Istituto Italiano di Tecnologia in Lecce (Italy) has developed gold nanoparticles able to reduce the cell death of neurons exposed to overexcitement. Therefore, excessive stimulation of neurons can damage nerve cells and cause their degeneration; this is a common phenomenon in neuroinflammatory and neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease, but also in case of epilepsy, brain trauma and stroke.