title: Boron-containing compounds as preventive and chemotherapeutic agents for cancer.
abstract: In the last few years boron (B) compounds became increasingly frequent in the chemotherapy of some forms of cancer with high malignancy and of inoperable cancers. As more B-based therapy chemicals are developed it is necessary to review the correlation between B and the incidence of different forms of cancer, the biochemical and molecular mechanisms influenced by B and to explore the relevance of B in the chemoprevention of cancer. This minireview analyzes dietary and therapeutic principles based on the chemistry of B compounds. We summarize studies correlating B-rich diets or B-rich environments with regional risks of specific forms of cancers, and studies about the utilization of natural and synthetic B-containing compounds as anticancer agents. We review mechanisms where B-containing compounds interfere with the physiology and reproduction of cancer cells. Types of cancers most frequently impacted by B-containing compounds include prostate, breast, cervical and lung cancer. Mechanisms involving B activity on cancer cells are based on the inhibition of a variety of enzymatic activities, including serine proteases, NAD-dehydrogenases, mRNA splicing and cell division, but also receptor binding mimicry, and the induction of apoptosis. Boron-enriched diets resulted in significant decrease in the risk for prostate and cervical cancer, and decrease in lung cancer in smoking women. Boron-based compounds show promising effects for the chemotherapy of specific forms of cancer, but due to specific benefits should also be included in cancer chemopreventive strategies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biochemistry, University of Craiova, A.I. Cuza Street, no.13, Craiova, 200585, Romania. romulus_ion@yahoo.com
authors.forename: Romulus I
authors.initials: RI
authors.lastname: Scorei
authors.forename: Radu
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Popa
mesh_terms: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001943:Breast Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D004032:Diet; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008175:Lung Neoplasms / Q000517:prevention & control; D008297:Male; D009369:Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000517:prevention & control*; D011471:Prostatic Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control; D012306:Risk; D002583:Uterine Cervical Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000517:prevention & control
chemical_list: D016588:Anticarcinogenic Agents; D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001896:Boron Compounds