Boron neutron capture therapy: a promising radiation treatment modality

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a progressive medical technique that combines the use of boron compounds and neutron radiation to preferentially destroy cancer cells while minimizing, but not entirely eliminating, damage to surrounding healthy tissues. This therapy relies on 10B, delivered via specific compounds, capturing neutrons and undergoing a nuclear reaction. This capture leads to the emission of high-energy alpha particles and lithium ions, which selectively damage the boron-loaded tumour cells, ultimately leading to their destruction. The key advantage of BNCT lies in its ability to deliver a highly localized and targeted treatment to cancer cells, and sparing healthy tissues from significant radiation damage due to the extremely short range of the reaction products. This makes it particularly suitable for treating certain types of tumours located in sensitive or critical areas where conventional radiation therapy is less effective or poses higher risks. In BNCT, the neutron source is a crucial component of the treatment process. Reactors and accelerators have traditionally been used as neutron sources in BNCT, while recent studies have also explored neutron generators. The success of BNCT depends on the development of effective boron delivery agents and optimized neutron sources, with recent advances in both areas expanding its clinical potential for treating challenging tumours. Recent advances in nanotechnology have introduced carbon dots as promising boron nanocarriers for BNCT. These carbon dots offer high biocompatibility and unique optical properties. Additionally, they have the ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, enabling targeted brain tumour delivery and imaging. Recent progress in molecular biology and imaging technologies is enhancing our knowledge of tumour characteristics and facilitating the development of boron compounds with greater selectivity for cancer cells. The present overview presents the historical development of the two primary BNCT components, the boron compound and neutron source, as well as their potential for future applications.