History of Berlock
Overview of Berlock & Scientific Context
Berlock ApS is a Danish R&D company specializing in gold micro-implant technology for local immunosuppression. The foundational science stems from Professor Gorm Danscher’s groundbreaking 2002 discovery that gold ions are released in vivo from metallic gold implants – a process he termed dissolucytosis [1]. This finding overturned the long-held assumption that metallic gold is biologically inert.
The company has spun off two subsidiaries: Safe Implant Technology ApS (SIT) and MyGold ApS, which hold patents for therapeutic applications of gold micro-particles.
MyGold focuses specifically on microgold-based anti-inflammatory treatments using 99.99% pure gold particles [2].
AuroMedication: Localized Gold Ion Therapy
A Novel Approach to Autoimmune Inflammation
MyGold develops precision immunomodulatory treatments based on the controlled bio-release of gold ions from ultrapure (99.99%) gold micro-particles. This technology, termed Auromedication, represents a paradigm shift from systemic gold-drug therapy to targeted, local immunosuppression – without systemic exposure or known adverse effects.
Scientific Foundation
The therapeutic potential of gold ions has been recognized for decades through injectable gold compounds such as aurothiomalate (Myocrisin®). However, systemic administration carries significant limitations, including widespread tissue distribution and associated toxicity.
In 2002, Professor Gorm Danscher demonstrated that metallic gold implants release gold ions in vivo through a macrophage-mediated process called dissolucytosis [1]. Using autometallography (AMG), his team showed that:
- Gold ions are liberated from implant surfaces by macrophages via a specialized “dissolution membrane”
- Released ions (as dicyanoaurate, Au(CN)₂⁻) remain localized within a narrow zone (~mm scale) around the implant
- Uptake occurs in macrophages, fibroblasts, and mast cells — the same cell types targeted by systemic gold therapy
- No detectable gold accumulates in liver or kidneys, confirming local retention [1]
This mechanism enables site-specific immunomodulation while avoiding systemic side effects
Clinical Evidence
Professor Sten Rasmussen (Aalborg University) has led clinical investigations of intra-articular gold micro-particle injections for knee osteoarthritis (OA). Key findings include:
- 230+ patients treated with gold micro-particles suspended in hyaluronic acid or autologous synovial fluid
- Significant pain reduction at two-year follow-up [5]
- Evidence of immunomodulatory effects on local inflammatory pathways [4]
A registered clinical trial (NCT03389906) continues to evaluate the impact of inflammation on pain outcomes following gold micro-particle therapy [4].
Mechanism of Action
Gold micro-particles (20–40 µm, Berlock Micro Implants) function as sustained-release reservoirs of bioactive gold ions:
- Macrophage recruitment – Tissue macrophages recognize and adhere to gold particle surfaces
- Dissolution membrane formation – A nanoscale interface enables controlled oxidation of surface gold atoms
- Ion release – Monovalent gold ions complex with cyanide to form dicyanoaurate (Au(CN)₂⁻)
- Local uptake – Released ions bind extracellular and membrane proteins, modulating immune cell function
- Inflammation-responsive release – Increased macrophage density during inflammation amplifies gold ion liberation
This self-regulating mechanism provides on-demand immunosuppression proportional to local inflammatory activity.
Therapeutic Benefits
Preclinical and clinical data support the following effects of localized gold ion therapy:
- Reduction of pain and edema
- Inhibition of pathological angiogenesis
- Suppression of granulation tissue formation
- Modulation of collagen fiber architecture
- Absence of systemic toxicity
Intellectual Property
MyGold ApS holds patents covering the use of gold micro-particles as therapeutic gold ion providers, developed in collaboration with Berlock ApS [3]. The technology platform is protected under multiple jurisdictions in Europe and US.
Danscher 2002 (Histochem Cell Biol)
First demonstration that gold ions are liberated from implants and taken up by surrounding macrophages, fibroblasts, and mast cells [1]
US Patent 2014/0194852 A1 | Patent by Gorm Danscher covering micron-sized gold particles for reducing inflammation around implants [3]
ClinicalTrials.gov NCT03389906 | Clinical trial investigating 99.99% pure gold implants injected into knee joints for osteoarthritis pain management [4]
PMC 2022 Study | Clinical evidence that intra-articular gold micro-particles provide advantages for managing knee osteoarthritic pain [5]
A complete bibliography of peer-reviewed publications supporting Auromedication is available on our Articles page [6].