Boron neutron capture therapy for glioblastoma multiforme: enhanced drug delivery and antitumor effect following blood–brain barrier disruption induced by focused ultrasound

Abstract

Aim: This study investigated whether the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy was enhanced by means of intravenous administration of boronophenylalanine (BPA) with blood–brain barrier disruption induced by focused ultrasound (FUS). Materials & methods: BPA was administered, followed by pulsed FUS, and the boron concentration in the treated brains was quantified by inductively coupled plasma mass spectroscopy. Growth of the firefly luciferase-labeled glioma cells was monitored through noninvasive biophotonic imaging. Finally, the brain tissue was histologically examined after sacrifice. Results: Compared with the nonsonicated tumor group, animals treated with an injection of 500 mg/kg of BPA followed by FUS exhibited not only significantly increased accumulation of the drug at the sonicated tumor site, but also a significantly elevated tumor-to-normal brain drug ratio (p < 0.05). Discussion: The data demonstrated that FUS significantly enhances the tumor-to-normal brain drug ratio in the sonicated tumor and subsequently the efficacy of boron neutron capture therapy.