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Review
. 2021 Apr 10;11(4):330.
doi: 10.3390/life11040330.

Theranostics in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Wolfgang A G Sauerwein  1   2   3 , Lucie Sancey  4 , Evamarie Hey-Hawkins  1   5 , Martin Kellert  5 , Luigi Panza  1   6 , Daniela Imperio  1   6 , Marcin Balcerzyk  7   8 , Giovanna Rizzo  9 , Elisa Scalco  9 , Ken Herrmann  10 , PierLuigi Mauri  1   11   12 , Antonella De Palma  11 , Andrea Wittig  1   13
Affiliations
Review

Theranostics in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Wolfgang A G Sauerwein et al. Life (Basel). .

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: 10B and thermal neutrons. Exclusively, the combination of both produces an effect, whose extent depends on the amount of 10B in the tumor but also on the organs at risk. It is not yet possible to determine the 10B concentration in a specific tissue using non-invasive methods. At present, it is only possible to measure the 10B concentration in blood and to estimate the boron concentration in tissues based on the assumption that there is a fixed uptake of 10B 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 10B 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.

Keywords: BNCT; BPA; BSH; PET; cell-penetrating peptides CPP; image registration; proteomics; quantitative MRI; radiation oncology; small molecules.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
The two compounds currently used in clinical applications for BNCT (a) 10B-p-boronophenylalanine (BPA), (b) Sodium mercaptoundecahydro-closo-dodecaborate (BSH) [3].
Figure 2
Figure 2
Schematic workflow of radiomic analysis. (1) Identification of Region of Interest (ROI) on medical images; (2) extraction of radiomic features (volumetric, histogram-based, texture and filter-based) within the ROI; (3) features selection and model building for prediction and prognosis.
Figure 3
Figure 3
Molecular structure of 18F labeled FBPA (cf. Figure 1).
Figure 4
Figure 4
Molecular structures of Tyr and FBY in comparison.
Figure 5
Figure 5
Dumbbell-shaped molecule combining carboranes, a nonpeptidic RGD- mimetic αvβ3 integrin ligand and a monomethine cyanine dye for fluorescence imaging [80].
Figure 6
Figure 6
A theranostic BNCT construct based on CPPs [53]. The trefoil symbol at 64Cu indicates the radioactive element of this molecule.
Figure 7
Figure 7
64Cu-containing boronated porphyrin incorporated into a biocompatible polymer nanoparticle [52]. The trefoil symbol at 64Cu indicates the radioactive element of this molecule.
Figure 8
Figure 8
GdIII- and carborane-containing cholesterol derivative for application as a liposome precursor with MRI imaging abilities [96].
Figure 9
Figure 9
Schematic representation of the preparation of BNNPs coated with phase-transited lysozyme. Reprinted with permission from Li L et al. ACS Nano. 2019;13(12):13843-52 [97]. Copyright (2019) American Chemical Society.
Figure 10
Figure 10
Example of a cobalt bis(dicarbollide)-modified gold nanoparticle with 124I-labelling on the carborane periphery.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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