Styrene-Maleic Acid Copolymer-Based Nanoprobes for Enhanced Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Area of Science:

• Nanomedicine
• Polymer Chemistry
• Oncology

Background:

• Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is an emerging anticancer modality requiring effective boron delivery agents.
• Developing targeted BNCT probes with high boron content and tumor selectivity is crucial.
• Previous work utilized glucosamine-conjugated SMA copolymers for tumor targeting via the EPR effect.

Purpose of the Study:

• To design and synthesize novel SMA-based polymeric nanoprobes for BNCT.
• To evaluate the biological activity and tumor-targeting properties of these new nanoprobes.
• To compare two distinct SMA-based nanoprobes: SG@B and S-APB@TB.

Main Methods:

• Synthesis of SMA-glucosamine conjugated Borax (SG@B) and SMA-conjugated aminophenylboronic acid encapsulating tavaborole (S-APB@TB).
• Quantification of boron content using ICP-MS and particle size analysis via DLS.
• In vitro cytotoxicity assessment (MTT assay) and in vivo tissue distribution studies in a tumor-bearing mouse model.

Main Results:

• Both nanoprobes formed stable nanoformulations (99-137 nm).
• S-APB@TB demonstrated significantly higher boron content (14.4%) compared to SG@B (2%).
• Both agents showed dose-dependent cytotoxicity and preferential accumulation in tumor tissues, with S-APB@TB exhibiting superior tumor targeting.

Conclusions:

• SMA-based nanoprobes exhibit significant potential as effective agents for BNCT.
• The S-APB@TB formulation shows promising tumor-targeting capabilities.
• Further research is recommended for the clinical advancement of these nanoprobes.