ABSTRACT
Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on the nuclear capture and fission reactions that occur when nonradioactive boron-10 is irradiated with low energy thermal neutrons to yield high-linear-energy-transfer alpha particles (4He) and recoiling lithium-7 (7Li) nuclei. For BNCT to be successful, a sufficient number of 10B atoms must be selectively delivered to the tumor and enough thermal neutrons must be absorbed by them to sustain a lethal 10B(n,α) 7Li capture reaction. BNCT primarily has been used to treat patients with brain tumors, and those with head-and-neck cancer. Carborane containing dendrimers potentially could be used as boron delivery agents for BNCT because it is possible to control the number of carborane moieties and overall solubility. The chapter focuses on boron-containing macromolecules and nanovehicles as boron delivery agents. Nanovehicles offer the possibility of tumor targeting with enhanced boron payloads. Potentially, nanovehicles could solve the central problem of how to selectively deliver large number of boron atoms to individual cancer cells.
