Frontiers in Boron-based Medicinal Chemistry

Boron has long occupied a privileged role in chemistry (as a catalyst component) and human health (as a micronutrient). In 1951, boron science took a momentous leap forward with its application in clinical cancer research. The seventy or so years since have witnessed exciting developments in the technology now known as Boron Nuclear Capture Therapy (BNCT), a binary form of radiotherapy that lethally combines two separately non-lethal constituents: a boron-based radiosensitizer and non-ionizing neutron radiation. Frontiers in Boron-based Medicinal Chemistry is a one-stop resource on the current state of BNCT and promising works in the pipeline. It begins with an introduction to general boron chemistry, with extensive discussion on important boron compounds including boranes, boronic acids, carboranes, and FDA-approved boron drugs. Chapter 2 looks at BNCT in clinical trials, while Chapter 3 describes emerging next-generation agents such as boron-based nanoparticles and dendrimers. The penultimate chapter summarizes the currently used and emerging imaging techniques in BNCT, namely, PET, CT, MRI and fluorescence microscopy. The book concludes with a technically heavy chapter on neutron sources and dosimetry. The cutting-edge information contained in this authoritative volume will be a valuable resource for all those involved in mankind's endless struggle against cancer.