Theranostics in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Overview

Journal Life (Basel)

Specialty Biology

Date 2021 Apr 30

PMID 33920126

Citations 24

Authors

Wolfgang A G Sauerwein

Lucie Sancey

Evamarie Hey-Hawkins

Martin Kellert

Luigi Panza

Daniela Imperio

Marcin Balcerzyk

Giovanna Rizzo

Elisa Scalco

Ken Herrmann

Pierluigi Mauri

Antonella de Palma

Andrea Wittig

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has the potential to specifically destroy tumor cells without damaging the tissues infiltrated by the tumor. BNCT is a binary treatment method based on the combination of two agents that have no effect when applied individually: B and thermal neutrons. Exclusively, the combination of both produces an effect, whose extent depends on the amount of B in the tumor but also on the organs at risk. It is not yet possible to determine the B concentration in a specific tissue using non-invasive methods. At present, it is only possible to measure the B concentration in blood and to estimate the boron concentration in tissues based on the assumption that there is a fixed uptake of B from the blood into tissues. On this imprecise assumption, BNCT can hardly be developed further. A therapeutic approach, combining the boron carrier for therapeutic purposes with an imaging tool, might allow us to determine the B concentration in a specific tissue using a non-invasive method. This review provides an overview of the current clinical protocols and preclinical experiments and results on how innovative drug development for boron delivery systems can also incorporate concurrent imaging. The last section focuses on the importance of proteomics for further optimization of BNCT, a highly precise and personalized therapeutic approach.

Citing Articles

Boron Nanocomposites for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy and in Biomedicine: Evolvement and Challenges.

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Novel Drug Delivery Particles Can Provide Dual Effects on Cancer "Theranostics" in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy.

Fithroni A, Inoue H, Zhou S, Hakim T, Tada T, Suzuki M Cells. 2025; 14(1.

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Automated robotic-assisted patient positioning method and dosimetric impact analysis for boron neutron capture therapy.

Chen J, Teng Y, Shu D, Gong Q, Xie Q, Liu Y Sci Rep. 2024; 14(1):28995.

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Polymeric nanomaterials encapsulating fluorescent polyindole-nido- carborane: design, synthesis and biological evaluation.

Cao J, Jin T, Shao S, Mao B, Feng J Front Chem. 2024; 12:1402640.

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Evaluation of sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boronophenylalanine (BPA) as boron delivery agents for neutron capture therapy (NCT) of cancer: an update and a guide for the future clinical evaluation of new boron delivery agents for NCT.

Barth R, Gupta N, Kawabata S Cancer Commun (Lond). 2024; 44(8):893-909.

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