Perspectives of boron-neutron capture therapy of malignant brain tumors

Abstract

Boron neutron capture therapy (BN T) is characterized by a selective effect directly on the cells of malignant tumors. The carried out research showed the perspective of the given kind of therapy concerning malignant tumors of the brain. However, the introduction of BNCT into clinical practice is hampered by the lack of a single protocol for the treatment of patients and the difficulty in using nuclear reactors to produce a neutron beam. This problem can be solved by using a compact accelerator as a source of neutrons, with the possibility of installation in a medical institution. Such a neutron accelerator for BN T was developed at Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics, Novosibirsk. A neutron beam was obtained on this accelerator, which fully complies with the requirements of BN T, as confirmed by studies on cell cultures and experiments with laboratory animals. The conducted experiments showed the relative safety of the method with the absence of negative effects on cell cultures and living organisms, and also confirmed the effectiveness of BN T for malignant brain tumors.

Accelerator-based boron neutron capture therapy for malignant glioma: a pilot neutron irradiation study using boron phenylalanine, sodium borocaptate and liposomal borocaptate with a heterotopic U87 glioblastoma model in SCID mice

“…The tumor size reduction in animals irradiated without boron compounds was apparently due to the presence of a component of fast neutrons and gamma radiation in the beam which has a destructive effect on tumor cells. However, this component was benign to normal tissues, as we have previously shown that the flux of epithermal neutrons obtained at the accelerator does not affect the viability of laboratory animals at therapeutic doses and does not lead to any significant damage in vital organs (Kanygin et al 2017).…”

“…Irradiation was carried out 3 weeks after orthotopic xenotransplantation of U87 human glioblastoma cells to mice thighs when tumor volumes reached 90-110 mm 3 (Kanygin et al 2017). Tumor sizes were monitored using high-field magnetic resonance (MR) imaging (11.7 T, BioSpec 117/16 USR, Bruker, Billerica, MA, USA) by directly estimating the linear dimensions of the tumor using T1-and T2-weighted MR imaging techniques.…”

Radiobiological Effectiveness of the Accelerator-Based Neutron Beam in Vitro and in Vivo at the Binp at the Budker Institute of Nuclear Physics

“…1А, Б). Наши данные согласуются с предыдущими исследованиями по облучению клеточных линий U251MG, CHO-K1, V79 на ускорителе с током 1,5-3,0 мA при энергии протонов 2 МэВ [9], а также по аналогичному облучению клеточной линии U87 пучком с энергией протонов 2 МэВ и током 2,6 мА [11]. А.…”

“…Более того, ускорители нейтронов можно поместить в клинику. Оптимально терапевтический пучок нейтронов обеспечивается реакциями 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be или 9 Be(p,n) 9 B из-за низкой энергии генерируемых нейтронов [8].…”

“…Г.И. Будкера (Новосибирск) был разработан ускорительный источник нейтронов с твердой литиевой мишенью и током протонного пучка до 8,7 мА -ускоритель-тандем с вакуумной изоляцией и припороговым режимом генерации нейтронов в результате реакции 7 Li(p,n) 7 Be, который наилучшим образом подходит для формирования потока эпитепловых нейтронов [9]. С участием международных и российских организаций создан прототип такой установки, на нем получен стабильный протонный пучок с рекордным током, осуществлена генерация нейтронов.…”