Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a non-invasive cancer treatment with little adverse effect utilizing nuclear fission of 10B upon neutron irradiation. While neutron source has been developed from a nuclear reactor to a compact accelerator, only two kinds of drugs, boronophenylalanine (BPA) and sodium borocaptate (BSH), have been clinically used for decades despite their low tumour specificity and/or retentivity. To overcome these challenges, various boron-containing nanomaterials, or “nanosensitizers”, have been designed based on micelles, (bio)polymers and inorganic nanoparticles. Among them, inorganic nanoparticles such as boron carbide (10B4C) and boron nitride (10BN) can include much higher 10B content, but successful in vivo applications are very limited. In this talk, I will present our successful results in eradicating tumours in cancer mice by BNCT using 10-boron-containing nanoparticles under neutron irradiation.
27/10/2023
Aula A, Dipartimento di Chimica e Tecnologie del Farmaco (Edificio CU019)
ore 15.00