Gold! Gold! Gold! Gold!

And has a LONG way to go… note the extremely LOW % of Forex reserves.

Need a good Forex adviser? Tell Alex that Sparty referred you.

Public release date: 2-Feb-2012
[ Print | E-mail | Share Share ] [ Close Window ]

Contact: Richard Mellor
r.d.mellor@leeds.ac.uk
44-011-334-34031
University of Leeds

A silver bullet to beat cancer?

The internet is awash with stories of how silver can be used to treat cancer. Now, lab tests have shown that it is as effective as the leading chemotherapy drug - and may have fewer side-effects.

Results from the study at the University of Leeds, published in Dalton Transactions, show that particular silver compounds are as toxic to cancer cells as the platinum-based drug Cisplatin, which is widely used to treat a range of cancers.

But the crucial difference is that silver is thought to be much less toxic to healthy human cells, and in some cases, can be beneficial. Silver is currently used for its antiseptic and antibiotic properties, in bandages, wound dressings and water purification filters in the third world.

Nausea and vomiting, kidney damage and an increased risk of infection are common side effects of Cisplatin which is used to treat cancer of the lungs, breast, bladder, testicles, head and neck, ovaries and lymph nodes.

Dr Charlotte Willans who is leading the study said: “As many are unfortunately aware, chemotherapy can be a very gruelling experience for the patient. Finding effective, yet non-toxic drugs is an ongoing problem, but these preliminary results are an important step in solving it.”

“Our research has looked at the structure which surrounds a central silver atom. This ’shrubbery’ is what determines how reactive it is and what it will interact with. Our research has used different types of these ligands to see which is the most effective against cancer cells,” adds Dr Willans.

The research, still the first phase of drug development, involved exposing breast and colon cancer cells with different silver-based chemicals for six day periods. It has been shown that ligands which are co-ordinately bonded to the central silver atom through two sites are more effective than those coordinated through only one site. This may be due to the release of silver being much slower and make these compounds more effective over a longer period of time.

A major barrier to the continued development of these compounds is a lack of understanding of how they work. Over the next 12 months, research will focus on investigating how the compounds damage cancerous cells and what effects they have on healthy cells. This will establish whether these silver complexes are in fact less toxic to ordinary human tissue, and will help to design and develop the next-generation of chemotherapy drugs. This work is been carried out in collaboration with Dr. Roger Phillips at the University of Bradford and is funded by Yorkshire Cancer Research.

Charts are from FML’s AGM Presentation

Angelos Demaskos, manager of the Junior Gold Fund at Sector Investment Managers, says that he fully expects the price of gold to remain at least where it is and that this year the gap that has opened up between bullion and shares of gold companies will start to close. His picks in the fund are Focus Minerals (LON:FML) and Spanish Mountain Gold (TSX-V:SPA)

See earlier FML posts

Another viewpoint of FML and others

Those of us that have been investing in the resource sector for more than a couple of decades are likely to be experiencing a touch of Deja Vous with the news: “Indonesia has revoked a gold mining exploration permit granted to an Australian company (Arc Exploration) after a series of protests against the project (Critics have been concerned the project would have a negative environmental impact) left two people dead last month.” Read article

I wonder which other ASX listed companies are at risk…. I guess holders of IAU are feeling more than a bit edgy with the “forestry” decision still to come.

This image shows the world’s top 10 countries re National Gold Reserves. Note the very low ratio of China’s gold reserve to ForEx reserve.

As most of those interested in gold would know China has a large amount of its reserves in US dollars, the following image goes some way to understanding why China needs to diversify……

Click image to enlarge

From: Number Sleuth

“Integra Mining (ASX: IGR) achieved a gold production milestone of 100,000 ounces in early January at its Randalls Gold Project located 60-130 kilometres east of Kalgoorlie in Australia’s most prolific goldfield. ” I hold IGR

Is this a reaction to the increase in the USA’s debt ceiling?

Gold Can Build on Its 2011 Gains Next Year, Dillon Gage Metals Says

Targets include $2,000 an ounce and an inflation-adjusted 1980 high of $2,300

ADDISON, Texas–(BUSINESS WIRE)–In a turbulent year for world economies and markets, the price of gold reached an all-time high in September, and after a setback is recovering. The yellow metal looks poised for loftier levels next year, says Terry Hanlon, President of Dillon Gage Metals, dealers in Dallas.

“Gold’s long-term prospects remain strong as demand continues to rise, while growth in world supplies should remain limited.”

As 2011 winds down, what exactly happened this year? Traders rushed into gold in the spring during unrest in the Middle East and North Africa and Japan’s worst struggles since World War II, Hanlon says. Some traders exited gold in the first week of May, however, and values retreated. The market rebounded in the summer, reaching a record $1,895 an ounce in early September as investors evaluated Standard & Poor’s U.S. credit downgrading. But from there, gold set back again, dropping $100 in one late-September day as nervous investors fled many assets.

Gold is inching back up now, and in early December is $350 an ounce above a year ago, Hanlon notes. Precious metals traders are waiting for the European Union’s December 9 summit meeting–expected to result in treaty changes that will affect currencies and other markets.

In 2011, gold prices have traversed a $550 range, influenced by many factors, including: Political and economic uncertainty- Investors see gold as a haven for their money in unsettled times. Interest rates- Generally the lower real rates are, the better gold and other commodities do. The Federal Reserve has publicly promised to keep interest rates low until mid-2013. The U.S. dollar’s value- The price of gold tends to move against the dollar, meaning a weaker greenback sends gold higher and a stronger dollar weighs on gold. The dollar fell in 2011’s first half but recovered in the second half. Inflation- Consumer prices moderated in the U.S. in late 2011 but are increasing in a number of other countries. Gold rises with inflation.

Also critical to gold’s value are: Central bank reserves- As major central banks continue to replace other reserves with gold, demand for the metal has increased. Net gold purchases by central banks exceeded 148 tons in third-quarter 2011, according to the London-based World Gold Council in November. Supply and demand- Global gold supplies rose 2% in third-quarter 2011 from a year earlier as mine output and metals recycling grew, while gold demand expanded 6%, according to the WGC. The world’s third-quarter gold demand reached 1,054 tons, or $57.7 billion, an all-time high in value terms.

In the WGC’s most recent data, world third-quarter investment demand for gold surged 33% on the year to 468 tons. European third-quarter investment was a record 118 tons, up 135% on the year. Demand for gold bars and coins swelled in markets across the globe, growing 29% to 391 tons in the third quarter from 303 tons a year earlier. In value terms, third-quarter 2011 purchases of bars and coins totaled $21.4 billion, well above $12 billion in the corresponding 2010 quarter.

Chinese jewelry demand grew 13% on the year in third-quarter 2011, according to the WGC. Purchases grew in smaller Chinese cities as retail chains expanded to meet rising income levels. China’s demand for gold bars and coins swelled by 24% in the quarter from a year earlier to 60 tons.

Inflows into gold ETFs or exchange-traded funds and similar products totaled 77.6 tons globally in the third quarter, 58% above year-earlier levels.

“Gold’s long-term prospects remain strong as demand continues to rise, while growth in world supplies should remain limited.” Hanlon says. ”Uncertainty about U.S., European and other economies will clearly keep investors interested in precious metals in 2012.” Gold could reach $2,000 an ounce next year, and many traders are looking at $2,300, the metal’s 1980, inflation-adjusted high as a target, he says.

Dillon Gage Metals offers bullion trading, online trading of physical metal and futures, jewelry trading and liquidation, refining services, and rare coins and estate liquidations.