ABSTRACT
To date, the treatment of malignant tumors has always been accompanied by extremely negative side effects. One potentially useful approach for the selective destruction of tumor cells is boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a powerful form of radiotherapy involving preferential incorporation of 10B-containing compounds into tumor cells, followed by irradiation of the tumor with thermal neutrons.1-3 The high-energy ™ssion products that are formed on absorption of a neutron allow selective destruction of the tumor cells without affecting the surrounding healthy tissue. High and selective accumulation in tumor cells is one important requirement for a BNCT agent. For successful treatment, a concentration of 20-35 μg 10B per gram tumor must be achieved. The main problem to date is the availability of boron compounds that exhibit the necessary high selectivity, water solubility, and low toxicity in high concentrations.4
