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R F Barth

Publications and source records attributed to R F Barth.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Prostate cancer abdominal metastases detected with indium-111 capromab pendetide.

To provide appropriate therapy for prostate cancer, accurate staging of the patient's disease is essential. Determination of tumor size, location, periprostatic extension and metastatic disease in the skeleton and soft tissue are needed to stage properly. Current diagnostic modalities may lead to understaging in 40%-70% of prostate cancer. Detection of metastatic disease, both at the time of initial diagnosis and in patients with suspected local recurrence, can significantly alter the type of therapy given. Clinical studies using the (111)In radiolabeled immunoconjugate, MAb 7E11-C5.3-GYK-DTPA (capromab pendetide), have shown the superiority of radioimmunoscintigraphy over other diagnostic modalities in the detection of both primary and metastatic prostate cancer. Radioimmunoscintigraphy with capromab pendetide depends on expression of tumor-associated antigen rather than lesion size. Earlier detection of extraprostatic invasion and metastases by means of radioimmunoscintigraphy provides valuable information for treatment decisions. A case of metastatic prostate cancer in the abdomen of a patient without local disease, in which the extent of disease was confirmed at autopsy after sudden cardiac arrest, is presented.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1997

Boron-containing polyamines as DNA targeting agents for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: synthesis and biological evaluation.

Three series of new boron-containing spermidine/spermine (SPD/SPM) analogues have been synthesized: N1- and N5-(4-carboranylbutyl) SPD/SPM derivatives (SPD-1, SPD-5, SPM-1, SPM-5); N1,N10-diethyl-N5-(4-carboranylbutyl)spermidine (DESPD-5), N1,N14-diethyl-N5-(4-carboranylbutyl)spermine (DESPM-5); and N5,N10-bis(4-carboranylbutyl)spermine (SPM-5,10). In vitro studies using rat F98 glioma cells have shown that these polyamines retain the ability to displace ethidium bromide from calf thymus DNA and are rapidly taken up by F98 glioma cells. However, their cytotoxicities, especially those with terminal N-substituted (SPD-1, SPM-1) boron compounds, are greater than those of SPD/SPM. Nevertheless, the groundwork has been created for a new class of boron-containing compounds that maybe useful for boron neutron capture therapy of tumors.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Intratumoral delivery of boronated epidermal growth factor for neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

The gene for epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is amplified or overexpressed in high-grade gliomas but is low or undetectable in normal brain. Recently, there has been increasing interest in using epidermal growth factor (EGF)-based bioconjugates as targeting agents for brain tumors. In the present study, we have investigated the potential use of boronated EGF as a delivery agent for boron neutron capture therapy, which is based on the capture reaction that occurs when 10B, a stable isotope, is irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons. A fourth generation starburst dendrimer was boronated and linked to EGF using heterobifunctional reagents. Either wild-type or EGFR gene transduced C6 glioma cells (C6EGFR), which expressed 10(5)-10(6) receptor sites/cell, were stereotactically implanted into the right cerebral hemisphere of Fischer rats. Four weeks later, the rats received either i.v. or intratumoral (i.t.) injection of 131I-labeled boronated starburst dendrimer (BSD) or BSD-EGF. The biodistribution of 131I-BSD-EGF and 131I-BSD was studied by means of whole-body scintigraphy, autoradiography, and gamma scintillation counting. Following i.t. injection of 131I-BSD-EGF, 21.8% of the injected dose per gram tissue (% ID/g) was localized in C6EGFR tumors at 24 h and 16.3% at 48 h compared to 5 and 1.3% ID/g in C6 wild-type tumors, respectively, and 0.01 and 0.006% ID/g, respectively, for i.v. injected animals at the corresponding times. In contrast, following i.t. injection of BSD-EGF, only 0.01-0.1% ID/g was localized in the liver and spleen at 24 and 48 h compared to 5-12% ID/g following i.v. injection. Our data indicate that direct i.t. injection can selectively deliver BSD-EGF to EGFR-positive gliomas and suggest that intracerebral administration may be the most effective way for delivering EGF-based bioconjugates to EGFR-positive brain tumors.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: enhanced survival following intracarotid injection of either sodium borocaptate or boronophenylalanine with or without blood-brain barrier disruption.

The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy could be enhanced by means of intracarotid (i.c.) injection of sodium borocaptate (BSH) or boronophenylalanine (BPA) with or without blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D). For biodistribution studies, F98 glioma-bearing rats were injected i.v. or i.c. with either BSH (30 mg of boron/kg of body weight) or BPA (24 mg of boron/kg of body weight) with or without mannitol-induced, hyperosmotic BBB-D and killed 2.5 h later. The highest tumor boron concentrations for BSH and BPA were attained following i.c. injection with BBB-D (48.6 and 94.0 microg/g, respectively) compared to i.c. (30.8 and 42.7 microg/g) and i.v. injection (12.9 and 20.8 microg). Using the same doses of BSH and BPA, therapy experiments were initiated 14 days after intracerebral implantation of F98 glioma cells. Animals were irradiated 2.5 h after i.v. or i.c. administration of the capture agent with or without BBB-D using a collimated beam of thermal neutrons at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. The median survival times of rats given BSH or BPA i.c. were 52 and 69 days, respectively, for rats with BBB-D; 39 and 48 days for rats without BBB-D; 33 and 37 days for i.v. injected rats; 29 days for irradiated controls; and 24 days for untreated controls. i.c. injection of either BSH or BPA resulted in highly significant enhancement (P = 0.01 and P = 0.0002, respectively) of survival times compared to i.v. injection, and this was further augmented by BBB-D (P = 0.02 and P = 0.04, respectively) compared to i.c. injection. Normal brain tissue tolerance studies were carried out with non-tumor-bearing rats, which were treated in the same way as tumor-bearing animals. One year after irradiation, the brains of these animals showed only minimal radiation-induced changes in the choroid plexus, but no differences were discernible between irradiated controls and those that had BBB-D followed by i.c. injection of either BSH or BPA. Our data clearly show that the route of administration, as well as BBB-D, can enhance the uptake of BSH and BPA, and, subsequently, the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy.

Alpha Particles↗
PubMed1997

Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: enhanced survival following intracarotid injection of sodium borocaptate with or without blood-brain barrier disruption.

PURPOSE: Sodium borocaptate (Na2B12H11SH or BSH) has been used clinically for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of patients with primary brain tumors. The purpose of the present study was to determine if tumor uptake of BSH and efficacy of BNCT could be enhanced in F98 glioma-bearing rats by intracarotid (i.c.) injection of the compound with or without blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D). METHODS AND MATERIALS: For biodistribution studies 100,000 F98 glioma cells were implanted stereotactically into the brains of Fischer rats, and 12 days later BBB-D was carried out by i.c. infusion of 25% mannitol, followed immediately thereafter by i.c. injection of BSH (30 mg B/kg body weight). Animals were killed 1, 2.5, and 5 h later, and their brains were removed for boron determination. For BNCT experiments, which were initiated 14 days after intracerebral implantation of 1000 F98 cells, BSH (30 mg B/kg b.wt. was administered intravenously (i.v.) without BBB-D, or i.c. with or without BBB-D. The animals were irradiated 2.5 h later with a collimated beam of thermal neutrons at the Brookhaven National Laboratory Medical Research Reactor. RESULTS: The mean tumor boron concentration after i.c. injection with BBB-D was 48.6 +/- 17.2 microg/g at 2.5 h compared with 30.8 +/- 12.2 microg/g after i.c. injection without BBB-D and 12.9 +/- 4.2 microg/g after i.v. injection. The best composite tumor to normal tissue ratios were observed at 2.5 h after BBB-D, at which time the tumor:blood (T:B1) ratio was 5.0, and the tumor: brain (T:Br) ratio was 12.3, compared to 1.1 and 4.6, respectively, in i.v. injected rats. The mean survival time for untreated control rats was 24 +/- 3 days, 29 +/- 4 days for irradiated controls, 33 +/- 6 days for those receiving i.v. injection of BSH, 40 +/- 8 days for rats receiving i.c. BSH without BBB-D, and 52 +/- 13 days for BBB-D followed by BNCT (p = 0.003 vs. i.v. injected BSH). CONCLUSIONS: Intracarotid administration of BSH with or without BBB-D significantly increased tumor uptake of BSH and enhanced survival of F98 glioma-bearing rats following BNCT. BBB-D may be a useful way to enhance the delivery of both low and high molecular weight boron compounds to brain tumors. Further studies are in progress to assess this approach with other boron delivery agents.

Animals↗
PubMed1997

The rationale and requirements for the development of boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

The dismal clinical results in the treatment of glioblastoma multiforme despite aggressive surgery, conventional radiotherapy, and chemotherapy, either alone or in combination has led to the development of alternative therapeutic modalities. Among these is boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). This binary system is based upon two key requirements: (1) the development and use of neutron beams from nuclear reactors or other sources with the capability for delivering high fluxes of thermal neutrons at depths sufficient to reach all tumor foci, and (2) the development and synthesis of boron compounds that can penetrate the normal bloodbrain barrier, selectively target neoplastic cells, and persist therein for suitable periods of time prior to irradiation. The earlier clinical failures with BNCT related directly to the lack of tissue penetration by neutron beams and to boron compounds that showed little specificity for and low retention by tumor cells, while attaining high concentrations in blood. Progress has been made both in neutron beam and compound development, but it remains to be determined whether these are sufficient to improve therapeutic outcomes by BNCT in comparison with current therapeutic regimens for the treatment of malignant gliomas.

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy↗
PubMed1997

Enhanced survival of glioma bearing rats following boron neutron capture therapy with blood-brain barrier disruption and intracarotid injection of boronophenylalanine.

Boronophenylalanine (BPA) has been used for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) of brain tumors in both experimental animals and humans. The purpose of the present study was to determine if the efficacy of BNCT could be enhanced by means of intracarotid (i.c.) injection of BPA with or without blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D) and neutron irradiation using a rat brain tumor model. For biodistribution studies, F98 glioma cells were implanted stereotactically into the brains of Fischer rats, and 12 days later BBB-D was carried out by i.c. infusion of 25% mannitol (1.373 mOsmol/ml), followed immediately by i.c. administration of 300, 500 or 800 mg of BPA/kg body weight (b.w.). At the 500 mg dose a fourfold increase in tumor boron concentration (94.5 micrograms/g) was seen at 2.5 hours after BBB-D. compared to 20.8 micrograms/g in i.v. injected animals. The best composite tumor to normal tissue ratios were observed at 2.5 hours after BBB-D, at which time the tumor: blood (T: Bl) ratio was 10.9, and the tumor: brain (T:Br) ratio was 7.5, compared to 3.2 and 5.0 respectively for i.v. injected rats. In contrast, animals that had received i.c. BPA without BBB-D had T : Bl and T:Br ratios of 8.5 and 5.9, respectively, and the tumor boron concentration was 42.7 micrograms/g. For therapy experiments, initiated 14 days after intracerebral implantation of F98 glioma cells, 500 mg/kg b.w. of BPA were administered i.v. or i.c. with or without BBB-D, and the animals were irradiated 2.5 hours later at the Brook-haven Medical Research Reactor with a collimated beam of thermal neutrons delivered to the head. The mean survival time for untreated control rats was 24 +/- 3 days, 30 +/- 2 days for irradiate controls, 37 +/- 3 days for those receiving i.v. BPA, 52 +/- 15 days for rats receiving i.c. BPA without BBB-D, and 95 +/- 95 days for BBB-D followed by i.c. BPA and BNCT. The latter group had a 246% increase in life span (ILS) compared to untreated controls and a 124% ILS compared to that of i.v. injected animals. These survival data are the best ever obtained with the F98 glioma model and suggest that i.c. administration of BPA with or without BBB-D may be useful as a means to increase the efficacy of BNCT.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Enhanced delivery of boronophenylalanine for neutron capture therapy by means of intracarotid injection and blood-brain barrier disruption.

There has been increasing interest in the possible use of boronophenylalanine as a capture agent for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors. The purpose of the present study was to determine whether the uptake of boronophenylalanine in F98 glioma-bearing rats could be enhanced by means of intracarotid (i.c.) injection with or without blood-brain barrier disruption (BBB-D). Glioma cells (10(5)) were stereotactically implanted into the right cerebral hemisphere of Fischer rats, and 12 days later, BBB-D was performed by infusing 25% mannitol (1.373 mOsmol/ml) into the right carotid artery and then immediately injecting L-boronophenylalanine (300 mg/kg of body weight) intracarotidly. The animals were killed 0.5, 1, 2.5, and 4 hours later, and the brains were removed for boron determination by direct current plasma atomic emission spectroscopy. BBB-D was assessed by the intravenous injection of Evans blue or horseradish peroxidase, and the barrier-disrupted hemispheres and tumors showed intense staining with each. The mean tumor boron concentration after i.c. injection and BBB-D was 34.8 +/- 6.8 micrograms/g at 2.5 hours compared with 20.3 +/- 6.2 micrograms/g after i.c. injection without BBB-D and 10.7 +/- 0.7 micrograms/g after intravenous injection. No significant differences in boron concentration in muscle, skin, and eye were observed among the different groups. Boron concentrations in the ipsilateral, disrupted hemisphere increased transiently but rapidly returned to background levels by 2.5 hours after BBB-D. The tumor:brain and tumor:blood ratios were 5.2 and 5.6, respectively, compared to 3.2 and 2.1 for intravenous injection groups at 2.5 hours. The present study is the first to show that BBB-D combined with i.c. injection can enhance the tumor uptake of boron compounds for boron neutron capture therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors: past history, current status, and future potential.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on the nuclear reaction that occurs when boron-10 is irradiated with low-energy thermal neutrons to yield alpha particles and recoiling lithium-7 nuclei. High-grade astrocytomas, glioblastoma multiforme, and metastatic brain tumors constitute a major group of neoplasms for which there is no effective treatment. There is growing interest in using BNCT in combination with surgery to treat patients with primary, and possibly metastatic brain tumors. For BNCT to be successful, a large number of 10B atoms must be localized on or preferably within neoplastic cells, and a sufficient number of thermal neutrons must reach and be absorbed by the 10B atoms to sustain a lethal 10B(n, alpha)7 Li reaction. Two major questions will be addressed in this review. First, how can a large number of 10B atoms be delivered selectively to cancer cells? Second, how can a high fluence of neutrons be delivered to the tumor? Two boron compounds currently are being used clinically, sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boronophenylalanine (BPA), and a number of new delivery agents are under investigation, including boronated porphyrins, nucleosides, amino acids, polyamines, monoclonal and bispecific antibodies, liposomes, and epidermal growth factor. These will be discussed, and potential problems associated with their use as boron delivery agents will be considered. Nuclear reactors, currently, are the only source of neutrons for BNCT, and the fission process within the core produces a mixture of lower-energy thermal and epithermal neutrons, fast or high (> 10,000 eV) energy neutrons, and gamma rays. Although thermal neutron beams have been used clinically in Japan to treat patients with brain tumors and cutaneous melanomas, epithermal neutron beams should be more useful because of their superior tissue-penetrating properties. Beam sources and characteristics will be discussed in the context of current and future BNCT trials. Finally, the past and present clinical trials on BNCT for brain tumors will be reviewed and the future potential of BNCT will be assessed.

Boron Compounds↗
PubMed1995

Bispecific antibodies as targeting agents for boron neutron capture therapy of brain tumors.

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is based on the nuclear reaction that occurs when boron-10, a stable isotope, is irradiated with low energy (< or = 0.025 eV) or thermal neutrons to yield alpha particles and recoiling lithium-7 nuclei. A major requirement for the success of BNCT is the selective delivery of a sufficient number of boron atoms (approximately 10(9)) to individual cancer cells to sustain a lethal 10B (n, alpha) 7Li capture reaction. A panel of BsAb reactive with polyhedral borane anions (PBA) and a tumor-associated chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan has been produced. All of these BsAb showed strong reactivity with a panel of human glioblastoma and melanoma cell lines, as demonstrated by indirect membrane immunofluorescence. Two of them (H6 and B8) also reacted with cells that had been exposed to PBA (Na2B10H10 and Na2B12H11SH) and a boronated starburst dendrimer, which contained approximately 250-400 B atoms per molecule. The affinity constant (Ka) of BsAb-B8 was 2.57 x 10(8) M-1 on M21 human melanoma cell and 3.49 x 10(8) M-1 on A172 glioblastoma cells, which were almost identical to those of the parental monoclonal antibody (mAb) 9.2.27 on the same cell lines (2.62 x 10(8) M-1). Since our BsAb recognize both human glioblastoma and melanoma-associated antigens, as well as PBA, they potentially could be used to target 10B to these tumors for BNCT.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

The effect of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression on in vivo growth of rat C6 glioma cells.

The discovery of EGFR gene amplification in glioblastoma multiforme has prompted interest in experimental therapies to target the receptor on brain tumor cells. To develop an animal model for in vivo study of such strategies, we transfected C6 glioma cells with a plasmid containing the neomycin resistance gene and the human EGFR gene under the control of the glucocorticoid-inducible MMTV promoter. Following selection with G418, individual clones that expressed EGFR at high levels were selected. Kinetics of EGF binding fit a dual site model indicating the presence of both high (KA = 2.5 x 10(9) M-1) and low (KA = 3.3 x 10(7) M-1) affinity receptors. To assess growth in vivo, graded numbers of either wild-type or transfected cells were implanted into the brains of CD Fischer 344 rats. No differences in survival were observed between groups of animals injected with either wild-type or transfected cells at inocula of 10(3) or 10(4) respectively. In addition, one-third of animals (7/21) challenged with 10(5) or 10(6) transfected cells survived > 50 days compared to 0% of animals (0/12) challenged with 10(5) or 10(6) wild-type cells. Such an effect suggests greater immunogenicity of transfected cells, but only at the larger inocula. Since C6 glioma cells will grow in both outbred and inbred strains, our model should have a number of applications including the in vivo study of EGFR targeting for glioma therapy.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Increased in vitro and in vivo tumoricidal activity of a macrophage cell line genetically engineered to express IFN-gamma, IL-4, IL-6, or TNF-alpha.

Genetically engineered monocytes and macrophages may have potential as effector cells for the adoptive immunotherapy of cancer. As a first step, we have transfected the genes encoding either mouse interferon (IFN)-gamma, human interleukin (IL)-6, mouse IL-4, or mouse tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha into the mouse macrophage cell line, J774A.1 cells using retroviral vectors. In vitro activation of J774A.1 cells by gene modification was assessed by morphological changes, proliferative activity was determined by [3H]-TdR uptake, and cytolytic activity was assessed using an 18-hour chromium-51 (51Cr) release assay. In vivo tumoricidal activity was studied by means of local adoptive immunotherapy using intratumoral injection of transfected effector cells. IFN-gamma gene-transfected J774A.1 [J7(IFN-gamma)] cells developed filamentous processes, increased doubling times, and enhanced tumoricidal activity against three tumor cell lines: the TNF-sensitive fibrosarcoma line WEHI 164 and the TNF-alpha-resistant cell lines B16 melanoma and C1300 neuroblastoma. IL-6-, TNF-alpha-, and IL-4-gene-transfected J774A.1 cells also had augmented tumoricidal activity but did not display any changes in morphology or growth. Cytolytic activity was markedly reduced after the addition of anti-TNF-alpha antibodies. Cytolytic J7(IFN-gamma) cells showed upregulated expression of TNF-alpha messenger RNA. After intratumoral injection of J7(IL-4) and J7(IFN-gamma) cell mixtures, 50% of established B16 melanomas were rejected by C57BL/6 mice, thereby demonstrating synergistic killing. Further studies on gene-transfected macrophages should better define their potential usefulness in tumor immunotherapy.

3T3 Cells↗
PubMed1994

A nude rat model for neutron capture therapy of human intracerebral melanoma.

PURPOSE: The present study was carried out to determine the efficacy of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) for intracerebral melanoma using nude rats, the human melanoma cell line MRA 27, and boronophenylalanine as the capture agent. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Pharmacokinetic and tissue distribution studies: MRA 27 cells (2 x 10(5)) were implanted intracerebrally, and 30 days later, 120 mg of 10B-L-BPA were injected intraperitoneally into nude rats. Therapy experiments: Thirty days following implantation, tumor bearing rats were irradiated at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. RESULTS: Pharmacokinetic experiments: Six hours following administration of BPA, tumor, blood, and normal brain boron-10 levels were 23.7, 9.4, and 8.4 micrograms/g respectively. Therapy experiments: Median survival time of untreated rats was 44 days compared to 76 days and 93 days for those receiving physical doses of 2.73 Gy and 3.64 Gy, respectively. Rats that had received both 10B-BPA and physical doses of 1.82, 2.73, or 3.64 Gy had median survival times of 170, 182, and 262 days, respectively. Forty percent of rats that had received the highest tumor dose (10.1 Gy) survived for > 300 days and in a replicate experiment 21% of the rats were longterm survivors (> 220 days). Animals that received 12 Gy in a single dose or 18 Gy fractionated (2 Gy x 9) of gamma photons from a 137Cs source had median survival times of 86 and 79 days, respectively, compared to 47 days for untreated animals. Histopathologic examination of the brains of longterm surviving rats, euthanized at 8 or 16 months following BNCT, showed no residual tumor, but dense accumulations of melanin laden macrophages and minimal gliosis were observed. CONCLUSION: Significant prolongations in median survival time were noted in nude rats with intracerebral human melanoma that had received BNCT thereby suggesting therapeutic efficacy. Large animal studies should be carried out to further assess BNCT of intracerebral melanoma before any human trials are contemplated.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Radiation effects of boron neutron capture therapy on brain, skin, and eye of rats.

PURPOSE: The present study was carried out to evaluate the radiation effects of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) on the brain, skin, and eyes of nude rats following systemic administration of boronophenylalanine (BPA) and neutron irradiation to the head. METHODS AND MATERIALS: A solution containing 120 mg of 10B-enriched-L-BPA complexed with fructose was administered IP to nude rats. Boron concentrations were approximately 8.4, 9.4, 10.0, and 11.0 micrograms/g in the brain, blood, skin, and eyes, respectively, at 6 h when the animals were irradiated at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor (BMRR). As determined in a study carried out in parallel with this one, the BNCT radiation doses were sufficient to cause tumor regression in nude rats carrying intracerebral implants of the human melanoma cell line MRA 27. RESULTS: Mild to moderate increases in loose fibrous tissue were observed in the choroid plexus at estimated physical doses to the brain and blood that ranged from 4.3-7.1 Gy and 4.6-7.7 Gy, respectively, and these appeared to be dose and time dependent. Other changes in the choroid plexus included occasional infiltrates of macrophages and polymorphonuclear leukocytes and vacuolation of epithelial cells. Dose-dependent moist desquamation of the skin was observed in all rats, but this had healed by 28 days following irradiation. Cataracts and keratitis developed in the eyes of most animals, and these were dose dependent. CONCLUSION: The minimal histopathological changes seen in the brain at doses that were sufficient to eradicate intracerebral melanoma indicates that BNCT has the potential to cure a tumor bearing host without producing the normal brain injury usually associated with conventional external beam radiation therapy. Studies in canines, which currently are in progress, should further define the dose-effect relationships of BNCT on critical neuroanatomic structures within the brain.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

Strategies for the design and synthesis of boronated nucleic acid and protein components as potential delivery agents for neutron capture therapy.

PURPOSE: Strategies for the design and synthesis of boronated nucleosides, amino acids, and peptides as potential delivery agents for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) are described. METHODS AND MATERIALS: For BNCT to be a useful treatment modality, there is a need to design and synthesize nontoxic boron compounds that selectively target tumor cells, accumulate in sufficient amounts (20-30 micrograms 10B/g of tumor) and persist at therapeutic levels for a sufficient time prior to neutron irradiation. Boronated nucleosides, amino acids and peptides are such promising target compounds. Such structures may be selectively used by proliferating neoplastic cells compared with mitotically less active normal cells and therefore achieve the tissue differentials necessary for BNCT. RESULTS: The rationale for synthesis of boronated nucleic acid and protein components is discussed. Results of biological and clinical studies of some boronated nucleosides, nucleotides, amino acids and peptides are presented. CONCLUSION: Boronated nucleosides, amino acids and peptides can be considered as potential targeting agents for BNCT.

Boron Compounds↗
PubMed1994

Neutron capture therapy of a rat glioma using boronophenylalanine as a capture agent.

The purpose of the present study was to determine the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) in treating the therapeutically refractory F98 glioma, using boronophenylalanine (BPA) as the capture agent. F98 glioma cells (10(5)) were implanted stereotactically into the brains of Fischer rats and 15 days later the animals were injected intraperitoneally with 897 mg/kg of D,L-BPA. Between 3 and 9 h after administration blood and tumor boron concentrations exhibited monoexponential decay with half-lives (t1/2) of 4.3 and 5.3 h, respectively. When 803 mg/kg of 10B-L-BPA was administered, the tumor 10B concentration was 29.4 micrograms/g and tumor-to-blood and tumor-to-brain ratios were 3.5 and 3.9, respectively. Seven days after intracerebral implantation of 10(5) F98 cells, BNCT was initiated at the Brookhaven Medical Research Reactor. The median survival time for irradiated controls (no BPA), which had received tumor physical doses of 1.7, 2.6 or 3.5 Gy, were 27, 33 and 38 days, respectively, compared to 24 days for untreated rats (P < or = 0.025-0.0001). The median survival time for BNCT-treated groups that had received 803 mg/kg of 10B-L-BPA 6 h prior to irradiation with total estimated tumor physical doses of 5.7, 8.6 and 11.5 Gy were 32, 37 and 59 days, respectively. Although the enhanced median survival times of two of the BNCT-treated group (8.6 and 11.5 Gy) were significant compared to their matched irradiated controls (P < or = 0.0175-0.0277), all BNCT-treated animals died in less than 160 days. It remains to be determined whether better survival can be achieved using higher doses of BPA and neutrons to treat a tumor, which at this time cannot be cured by any therapeutic modality.

Animals↗