04/16/2020
Fighting cancer with slime chemistry and BNCT
Expectations are growing for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT), a new cancer treatment, with few side effects, that combines thermal neutron irradiation and drug delivery. In BNCT, drugs are used to introduce boron specifically into cancer cells.
The cancer cells are then irradiated, killing them with thermal neutrons. By targeting cancer at the cellular level, the treatment limits effects on healthy tissue.
Professor Nobuhiro Nishiyama and Assistant Professor Takahiro Nomoto used slime chemistry to develop a new drug complex that enhances the therapeutic effect of BNCT. They already presented their findings at a press briefing at Tokyo Tech. A 4-minute video provides an overview of their achievement.
Source: Tokyo Institute of Technology