Boron Neutron Capture Therapy Of Cancer Research Articles

Suppression of Tumor Growth in a Rabbit Hepatic Cancer Model by Boron Neutron Capture Therapy With Liposomal Boron Delivery Systems.

Tumor cell destruction by boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is attributed to the nuclear reaction between 10B and thermal neutrons. The accumulation of 10B atoms in tumor cells without affecting adjacent healthy cells is crucial for effective BNCT. We previously reported that several types of liposomal boron delivery systems (BDS) delivered effective numbers of boron atoms to cancer tissues, and showed tumor-growth suppression after thermal neutron irradiation. In the present study, we examined the effects of BNCT after intra-arterial infusion of 10B-borono-dodecaborate (10BSH) by liposomal BDS in rabbit hepatic cancer models. We prepared 10BSH-entrapped transferrin-conjugated polyethylene glycol liposomes constructed with distearoyl-boron lipid (TF-PEG-DSBL), and performed thermal neutron irradiation at the Kyoto University Institute for Integrated Radiation and Nuclear Science after intra-arterial infusion into rabbit VX-2 hepatic tumors. Concentrations of 10B in VX-2 tumors on delivery with TF-PEG-DSBL liposomes reached 25 ppm on day 3 after the injection. Tumor growth was suppressed by thermal neutron irradiation after intra-arterial injection of this 10BSH-containing liposomal BDS, without damage to normal cells. The present results demonstrate the applicability of 10B-containing TF-PEG-DSBL liposomes as a novel intra-arterial boron carrier in BNCT for cancer.

Study of the tissue distribution of potential boron neutron-capture therapy agents based on conjugates of chlorin e 6 aminoamide derivatives with boron nanoparticles

Boron neutron-capture therapy of cancer is based on the ability of the 10B isotope to capture thermal neutrons; it is one of the most promising techniques in radiation therapy. The high content and selective accumulation of 10B in the tumor tissue are the most important prerequisites for its efficacy. The purpose of this study was to determine the biodistribution of cobalt bis(dicarbollide) conjugates with chlorin e6 amino amide derivatives. Experiments were carried out in Balb/c mice with transplanted CT-26 murine colon carcinoma. Boron-containing conjugates were injected into the tail vein at a dose of 10 mg/kg. The conjugate accumulation in tumor tissue and organs was studied by laser scanning microscopy. Excitation was performed at the wavelength of 514 nm; the signals were recorded in the range of 560–710 nm in increments of 10 nm. To evaluate the amount of the boron conjugate, we calculated the intensity of the fluorescence signal of the samples under investigation. At 3 h after administration of the agent, a high level of fluorescence was observed in the liver, spleen, and lung. The tumor/muscle accumulation ratio was approximately 3. The study demonstrated that boron derivatives of chlorin e6 are promising agents for boron neutron-capture therapy.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new BSH-conjugated chlorin derivatives as agents for both photodynamic therapy and boron neutron capture therapy of cancer

New disodium mercaptoundecahydro-closo-dodecaborate (BSH)-conjugated chlorin derivatives 11, 12, 16 and 20 as agents for both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of cancer were synthesized. The in vivo biodistribution and clearance of 11, 12, 16 and 20 were investigated in tumor-bearing mice. Compounds 12 and 16 showed good tumor-selective accumulation among the four derivatives. The time to maximum accumulation of compound 16 in tumor tissue was one-fourth of that of compound 12, and clearance from normal tissues of compound 16 was similar to that of compound 12. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of PDT using 16, which has twice as many boron atoms as 12, was evaluated by measuring tumor growth rates in tumor-bearing mice with 660nm light-emitting diode irradiation at 6h after injection of 16. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited by PDT using 16. These results suggested that 16 is a good candidate for both PDT and BNCT of cancer.

Synthesis and biological evaluation of new boron-containing chlorin derivatives as agents for both photodynamic therapy and boron neutron capture therapy of cancer

New boron-containing chlorin derivatives 9 and 13 as agents for both photodynamic therapy (PDT) and boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of cancer were synthesized from photoprotoporphyrin IX dimethyl ester (2) and l-4-boronophenylalanine-related compounds. The in vivo biodistribution and clearance of 9 and 13 were investigated in tumor-bearing mice. The time to maximum accumulation of compound 13 in tumor tissue was one-fourth of that of compound 9, and compound 13 showed rapid clearance from normal tissues within 24h after injection. The in vivo therapeutic efficacy of PDT using 13 was evaluated by measuring tumor growth rates in tumor-bearing mice with 660nm light-emitting diode irradiation at 3h after injection of 13. Tumor growth was significantly inhibited by PDT using 13. These results suggested that 13 might be a good candidate for both PDT and BNCT of cancer.

Accumulation of boron compounds to tumor with polyethylene-glycol binding liposome by using neutron capture autoradiography

The cytotoxic effect of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is due to a nuclear reaction between 10B and thermal neutrons. It is necessary to accumulate the 10B atoms to the tumor cells selectively for effective BNCT. In order to achieve an accurate measurement of 10B concentrations in the biological samples, we employed a technique of neutron capture autoradiography (NCAR) of the sliced whole-body samples of tumor bearing mice using CR-39 plastic track detectors. The CR-39 detectors attached with samples were exposed to thermal neutrons in the thermal column of the TRIGA II reactor at the Institute for Atomic Energy, Rikkyo University and thermal neutron facility of Paul Scherer Institute(PSI). We obtained NCAR images for mice injected intraveneously by 10B-PEG liposome, 10B-transferrin-PEG liposome, or 10B-bare liposome. The 10B concentrations in the tumor tissue of mice were estimated by means of α-track density measurements. In this study, we can increase the accumulation of 10B atoms in the tumor tissues by binding polyethylene-glycol chains to the surface of liposome, which increase the retention in the blood flow and escape the phagocytosis by reticulo-endothelial systems. Therefore, we will be able to apply NCAR technique for selection of effective 10B carrier in BNCT for cancer.

Homogeneous immunoconjugates for boron neutron-capture therapy: design, synthesis, and preliminary characterization.

The application of immunoprotein-based targeting strategies to the boron neutron-capture therapy of cancer poses an exceptional challenge, because viable boron neutron-capture therapy by this method will require the efficient delivery of 10(3) boron-10 atoms by each antigen-binding protein. Our recent investigations in this area have been focused on the development of efficient methods for the assembly of homogeneous immunoprotein conjugates containing the requisite boron load. In this regard, engineered immunoproteins fitted with unique, exposed cysteine residues provide attractive vehicles for site-specific modification. Additionally, homogeneous oligomeric boron-rich phosphodiesters (oligophosphates) have been identified as promising conjugation reagents. The coupling of two such boron-rich oligophosphates to sulfhydryls introduced to the CH2 domain of a chimeric IgG3 has been demonstrated. The resulting boron-rich immunoconjugates are formed efficiently, are readily purified, and have promising in vitro and in vivo characteristics. Encouragingly, these studies showed subtle differences in the properties of the conjugates derived from the two oligophosphate molecules studied, providing a basis for the application of rational design to future work. Such subtle details would not have been as readily discernible in heterogeneous conjugates, thus validating the rigorous experimental design employed here.

Model studies directed toward the boron neutron-capture therapy of cancer: boron delivery to murine tumors with liposomes.

The successful treatment of cancer by boron neutron-capture therapy (BNCT) requires the selective concentration of boron-10 within malignant tumors. The potential of liposomes to deliver boron-rich compounds to tumors has been assessed by the examination of the biodistribution of boron delivered by liposomes in tumor-bearing mice. Small unilamellar vesicles with mean diameters of 70 nm or less, composed of a pure synthetic phospholipid (distearoyl phosphatidylcholine) and cholesterol, have been found to stably encapsulate high concentrations of water-soluble ionic boron compounds. The hydrolytically stable borane anions B10H10(2-), B12H11SH2-, B20H17OH4-, B20H19(3-), and the normal form and photoisomer of B20H18(2-) were encapsulated in liposomes as their soluble sodium salts. The tissue concentration of boron in tumor-bearing mice was measured at several time points over 48 h after i.v. injection of emulsions of liposomes containing the borane anions. Although the boron compounds used do not exhibit an affinity for tumors and are normally rapidly cleared from the body, liposomes were observed to selectively deliver the borane anions to tumors. The highest tumor concentrations achieved reached the therapeutic range (greater than 15 micrograms of boron per g of tumor) while maintaining high tumor-boron/blood-boron ratios (greater than 3). The most favorable results were obtained with the two isomers of B20H18(2-). These boron compounds have the capability to react with intracellular components after they have been deposited within tumor cells by the liposome, thereby preventing the borane ion from being released into blood.