title: Applications and perspectives of boron-enriched nanocomposites in cancer therapy.
abstract: Recently, boron compounds have attracted increasing attention both in academic laboratories and in the pharmaceutical industry. Boron, in particular the (10)B isotope, has the unique capability of absorbing a slow neutron to initiate a nuclear reaction with release of energetic particles such as α- and Li-particles, which is not observed in its carbon analogues. The nuclear capture reaction concept has been adopted in radiation therapy and used in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). BNCT is a potentially promising treatment for malignant brain tumors as well as other cancers, despite the limitation of a scarcity of neutron sources. There is the need in advanced research centers to construct high boron-containing composites as BNCT agents and develop more efficient drug carriers. This review discusses recent works on the development of boron-based therapeutic nanomaterials as BNCT agents.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Chemical & Engineering Sciences (ICES), 1 Pesek Road, Jurong Island, Singapore 627833. zhu_yinghuai@ices.a-star.edu.sg
authors.forename: Zhu
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Yinghuai
authors.forename: Narayan S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Hosmane
mesh_terms: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001896:Boron Compounds / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D016754:Boron Neutron Capture Therapy; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000532:radiotherapy; D006801:Humans; D053761:Nanocomposites / Q000737:chemistry* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D053758:Nanoparticles / Q000737:chemistry / Q000627:therapeutic use; D043942:Nanotubes / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D001896:Boron Compounds; C017282:boron nitride