Fluorescent sensing for boronic acid derivatives: Design, synthesis, mechanism, application and perspective in Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT)

Boron is ubiquitous in nature, and drugs based on boronic acid and esters are now widely developed and used. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), with its high selectivity in targeting cancer cells while minimizing damage to healthy tissues, is currently an innovative cancer treatment technology being explored worldwide. The treatment process of BNCT primarily involves delivering targeted 10B drugs to the tumor site. After neutron irradiation, the 10B drugs will absorb neutrons and undergo nuclear transformation into 11B which subsequently decays to produce 7Li and alpha particles, thereby damaging DNA and killing cancer cells. The concentration and location of the 10B drugs delivered to tumor cells are critical determinants of the therapeutic effect of BNCT, making the sensing of boronic acid drugs particularly important. In this review, the design and synthesis of various boronic acid sensors with different chelating ligands were discussed, as well as the applications in BNCT. Finally, we analyze the current limitations and propose future perspectives for these sensors to improve their utility in biomedical applications.