T cell uptake for the use of boron neutron capture as an immunologic research tool

An immunologic tool based on manipulation of the boron neutron capture reaction was previously proposed in the context of heart transplantation research to examine the temporal relationship between parenchymal rejection (representing immune cell infiltration) and transplantation-associated arteriosclerosis (characterized by progressive vascular occlusion). Critical to the development of this method is the uptake of boron by specific cells of the immune system, namely T cells, without adverse effects on cell function, which may be assessed by the ability of boron-loaded cells to produce IFNgamma, a protein with substantial impact on rejection. This work presents the evaluation of two carboranyl thymidine analogs. Advantages of this type of boron compound are reduced risk of leakage and effective dose delivery based on their incorporation into cellular nuclear material. Results indicate that uptake of these boronated nucleosides is high with no adverse effects on cell function, thereby warranting the continued development of this technique that has potentially wide applicability in immunological models.