Boron-10 (10B) (10B)

Boron-10 (10B) is a stable, non-radioactive isotope that serves as the essential capture agent for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), a binary radiotherapeutic modality (Barth et al., 2018, CA Cancer J Clin). Unlike traditional therapeutic targets such as receptors or enzymes, 10B functions as a physical target for low-energy thermal neutrons. When 10B-enriched compounds, such as Boronophenylalanine (BPA), accumulate in tumor cells and are subsequently irradiated, the isotope captures a neutron and undergoes a nuclear fission reaction. This reaction releases high-energy alpha particles and lithium-7 nuclei with a very short path length (5–9 micrometers), effectively confining the destructive energy to the diameter of a single cell (Sauerwein et al., 2021, Radiation Oncology). This mechanism allows for the selective destruction of malignant cells while minimizing damage to surrounding healthy tissue. BNCT is primarily investigated for the treatment of invasive or recurrent tumors, including glioblastoma multiforme and head and neck cancers (Miyatake et al., 2020, Neurologia medico-chirurgica).

Other names

Boron-10 isotopeBNCT carrierBoron-10 capture agentBoron neutron capture therapy agent

Boron-10 captures thermal neutrons to undergo a nuclear fission reaction (10B(n,alpha)7Li), releasing high-energy alpha particles and lithium nuclei that induce localized cell death (Barth et al., 2018, CA Cancer J Clin).