Novel Drug Delivery Particles Can Provide Dual Effects on Cancer “Theranostics” in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy
Boron (B) neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a novel non-invasive targeted cancer therapy based on the nuclear capture reaction <sup>10</sup>B (n, alpha) <sup>7</sup>Li that enables the death of cancer cells without damaging neighboring normal cells. However, the development o...
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| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
MDPI AG
2025-01-01
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| Series: | Cells |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2073-4409/14/1/60 |
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| Summary: | Boron (B) neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a novel non-invasive targeted cancer therapy based on the nuclear capture reaction <sup>10</sup>B (n, alpha) <sup>7</sup>Li that enables the death of cancer cells without damaging neighboring normal cells. However, the development of clinically approved boron drugs remains challenging. We have previously reported on self-forming nanoparticles for drug delivery consisting of a biodegradable polymer, namely, “AB-type” Lactosome<sup>®</sup> nanoparticles (AB-Lac particles)- highly loaded with hydrophobic B compounds, namely <i>o</i>-Carborane (Carb) or 1,2-dihexyl-<i>o</i>-Carborane (diC6-Carb), and the latter (diC6-Carb) especially showed the “molecular glue” effect. Here we present in vivo and ex vivo studies with human pancreatic cancer (AsPC-1) cells to find therapeutically optimal formulas and the appropriate treatment conditions for these particles. The biodistribution of the particles was assessed by the tumor/normal tissue ratio (T/N) in terms of tumor/muscle (T/M) and tumor/blood (T/B) ratios using near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) imaging with indocyanine green (ICG). The in vivo and ex vivo accumulation of B delivered by the injected AB-Lac particles in tumor lesions reached a maximum by 12 h post-injection. Irradiation studies conducted both in vitro and in vivo showed that AB-Lac particles-loaded with either <sup>10</sup>B-Carb or <sup>10</sup>B-diC6-Carb significantly inhibited the growth of AsPC-1 cancer cells or strongly inhibited their growth, with the latter method being significantly more effective. Surprisingly, a similar in vitro and in vivo irradiation study showed that ICG-labeled AB-Lac particles alone, i.e., without any <sup>10</sup>B compounds, also revealed a significant inhibition. Therefore, we expect that our ICG-labeled AB-Lac particles-loaded with <sup>10</sup>B compound(s) may be a novel and promising candidate for providing not only NIRF imaging for a practical diagnosis but also the dual therapeutic effects of induced cancer cell death, i.e., “theranostics”. |
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| ISSN: | 2073-4409 |