First experimental proof of Proton Boron Capture Therapy (PBCT) to enhance protontherapy effectiveness

Authors

G. A. P. Cirrone, L. Manti, D. Margarone, G. Petringa, L. Giuffrida, A. Minopoli, A. Picciotto, G. Russo, F. Cammarata, P. Pisciotta, F. M. Perozziello, F. Romano, V. Marchese, G. Milluzzo, V. Scuderi, G. Cuttone, G. Korn

Citation
Nature Scientific Reports 8 (2018) 1141
DOI
10.1038/s41598-018-19258-5
Year
2018

We exploited the p + 11B → 3α reaction to generate high-LET alpha particles with a clinical proton beam. To maximize the reaction rate, we used sodium borocaptate (BSH) with natural boron content. Boron-Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) uses 10B-enriched BSH for neutron irradiation-triggered alpha particles. We recorded significantly increased cellular lethality and chromosome aberration complexity. A strategy combining protontherapy’s ballistic precision with the higher RBE promised by BNCT and 12C-ion therapy is thus demonstrated.

Schematic representation of “conventional” radiotherapy by low-LET proton beams and the rationale of boron-enhanced protontherapy.
Schematic representation of “conventional” radiotherapy by low-LET proton beams (A) and the rationale of boron-enhanced protontherapy (B). Whereas in A) the incident proton beam mainly results in isolated, mostly repairable DNA breaks, the extremely localized emission of high-LET radiation produced by the proton-boron fusion in the Bragg peak region causes irreparable clustered DNA damage, similar in nature to that induced by 12C ions, hence the expected increase in effectiveness at tumor cell killing.