SUBCELLULAR B-10 LOCALIZATION IN GLIOBLASTOMA FOR BORON NEUTRON-CAPTURE THERAPY WITH NA2B12H11SH

Because of the short range of the highly energetic particles helium-4 and lithium-7 that results from neutron-induced disintegration of boro n-l0, the efficacy of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is heavily dependent on B-10-microlocation. Despite the crucial importance of bor on-10, there is little specific information with regard to the agent c urrently used for inducing BNCT, namely Na2B12H11 SH. In the present s tudy, a subcellular B-10-location was investigated in tumor tissue obt ained from seven patients with glioblastoma World Health Organization Grade IV. These patients received N2B12H11SH at doses used in therapeu tic trials (75 mg/kg body weight in five patients, and 150 mg/kg body weight in two patients, respectively). In three cases, boron-10 was id entified in glioblastoma cells by laser microprobe mass analysis. In t hese tumors, boron-10 was found only in the nuclei of neoplastic cells but not in other cell compartments. These preliminary results suggest a predominant association of N2B12H11SH with the nuclei of malignant glioma cells and thus support the value of N2B12H11SH as a suitable bo ron carrier for BNCT.