KEY TAKEAWAYS
- The study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BNCT for metastatic spinal tumors.
- The findings suggested that BNCT could be a novel therapeutic option for managing metastatic spinal tumors.
Metastatic spinal tumors pose a significant challenge in oncology, often requiring complex management strategies. While radiation therapy has advanced, improving the quality of life (QoL) and daily living for patients remains difficult. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) offers a unique approach, enabling precise tumor targeting at the cellular level.
Yoshiki Fujikawa and the team aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of BNCT in a preclinical model of metastatic spinal tumors.
The study involved both in vitro and in vivo experiments. In vitro, A549 human lung adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to neutron and photon irradiation, with and without the boron carrier p-boronophenylalanine (BPA). Colony formation assays assessed the effects on cell survival.
In vivo, mice with metastatic spinal tumors received BPA intravenously, and boron biodistribution was measured using inductively coupled plasma atomic emission spectroscopy (ICP-AES). For BNCT efficacy evaluation, mice were divided into untreated, neutron irradiation only, and BNCT groups. Survival, hindlimb function, and histopathological changes were assessed.
Results showed that neutron irradiation, particularly with BPA, effectively killed cancer cells in vitro. In vivo, BNCT significantly prolonged survival and preserved hindlimb function compared to the untreated and neutron-only groups. Notably, no adverse events or significant histopathological abnormalities were observed.
These findings highlighted the potential of BNCT as a safe and effective treatment for metastatic spinal tumors. Further research is warranted to translate these promising preclinical results into clinical practice.
This research was funded by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (No. JP22K09270 to Toshihiro Takami) (Grants-in-Aid for Science Research [C]) and partly by the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) KAKENHI (No. JP23H03024 to S.K.) (Grants-in-Aid for Science Research [B]).
Source: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/39295333/
Fujikawa Y, Kawabata S, Tsujino K, et al. (2024). “AB015. Efficacy and safety of boron neutron capture therapy in managing metastatic spinal tumors: experimental findings.” Chin Clin Oncol. 2024;13(Suppl 1):AB015. doi:10.21037/cco-24-ab015
