Uptake and Retention of Laser-synthesized Boron Nanoparticles in Tumor Cells and Fibroblasts

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is one of the innovative methods for treating oncological diseases. Its selectivity is based on the targeted delivery of the boron-10 isotope to tumor cells, followed by neutron irradiation, the ¹⁰B(n, α)⁷Li reaction occurs with a local release of 2.79 MeV of energy. Budding boron delivery agents are nanoscale systems. This study evaluated in vitro cytotoxicity, accumulation, and retention of elemental boron nanoparticles, synthesized by laser ablation and laser fragmentation, in U87 and BT474 tumor cells and BJ-5ta fibroblasts. It was shown that both types of nanoparticles exhibit low cytotoxicity at therapeutically relevant concentrations. Boron accumulation was maximal after 24 h of incubation and was significantly higher in tumor cells, especially in the BT474 cell line, compared to fibroblasts. The obtained data indicate the promise of these nanoparticles as boron delivery agents for BNCT.