M-carb

M-carb is a polymeric micelle formulation designed to deliver o-carborane, a high-boron-content cage-like compound, for use in Proton Boron Capture Therapy (PBCT). Developed by researchers at UT MD Anderson Cancer Center and the University of Lisboa, M-carb consists of o-carborane entrapped within an amphiphilic block copolymer, forming stable micelles approximately 60 nm in diameter. The mechanism of action relies on the proton-boron fusion reaction (11B + p → 3α + 8.7 MeV), where the uptake of boron by cancer cells followed by proton irradiation leads to the production of alpha particles, significantly enhancing the cell-killing efficacy of proton therapy. In preclinical studies, M-carb demonstrated effective uptake in pancreatic cancer cells (MIA PaCa-2) and increased DNA double-strand breaks upon irradiation, showing superior survival reduction compared to proton therapy alone or standard boron-carrying agents like boron phenylalanine (BPA).

Other names

o-carborane-entrapped polymeric micelles