An in vitro study of boronated porphyrins for potential use in boron neutron capture therapy

Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Boron-Containing Macrocyclic Polyamines and Their Zinc(II) Complexes for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a binary therapeutic method for cancer treatment based on the use of a combination of a cancer-specific drug containing boron-10 (¹⁰B) and thermal neutron irradiation. For successful BNCT, ¹⁰B-containing molecules need to accumulate specifically in cancer cells, because destructive effect of the generated heavy particles is limited basically to boron-containing cells. Herein, we report on the design and synthesis of boron compounds that are functionalized with 9-, 12-, and 15-membered macrocyclic polyamines and their Zn²⁺ complexes. Their cytotoxicity, intracellular uptake activity into cancer cells and normal cells, and BNCT effect are also reported. The experimental data suggest that mono- and/or diprotonated forms of metal-free [12]aneN₄- and [15]aneN₅-type ligands are uptaken into cancer cells, and their complexes with intracellular metals such as Zn²⁺ would induce cell death upon thermal neutron irradiation, possibly via interactions with DNA.

Design and synthesis of boron containing monosaccharides by the hydroboration of d-glucal for use in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT)

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is one of the radiotherapies that involves the use of boron-containing compounds for the treatment of cancer. Boron-10 (¹⁰B) containing compounds that can accumulate in tumor tissue are expected to be suitable agents for BNCT. We report herein on the design and synthesis of some new BNCT agents based on a d-glucose scaffold, since glycoconjugation has been recognized as a useful strategy for the specific targeting of tumors. To introduce a boryl group into a d-glucose scaffold, we focused on the hydroboration of d-glucal derivatives, which have a double bond between the C1 and C2 positions. It was hypothesized that a C-B bond could be introduced at the C2 position of d-glucose by the hydroboration of d-glucal derivatives and that the products could be stabilized by conversion to the corresponding boronic acid ester. To test this hypothesis, we prepared some 2-boryl-1,2-dideoxy-d-glucose derivatives as boron carriers and evaluated their cytotoxicity and cellular uptake activity to cancer cells, especially under hypoxic conditions.

Polyhedral boron derivatives of porphyrins and phthalocyanines

The synthesis of compounds containing polyhedral boron cages and porphyrin or phthalocyanine units connected covalently in one molecule is reviewed. The importance of these compounds arises, on the one hand, from the use of polyhedral boron derivatives in neutron capture therapy for cancer; on the other hand, porphyrins and phthalocyanines are known as photosensitizers in photodynamic tumor therapy. Current interest in the binding of polyhedral boron compounds to porphyrins and phthalocyanines is due to the observation that porphyrins and phthalocyanines show improved uptake and good persistence in tissues. Medical applications of compounds containing polyhedral boron cages and porphyrin or phthalocyanine units in one molecule are briefly discussed.

Liposomal boron delivery for neutron capture therapy

Tumor cell destruction in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is due to the nuclear reaction between (10)B and thermal neutrons. The thermal neutrons have an energy of 0.025 eV, clearly below the threshold energy required to ionize tissue components. However, neutron capture by (10)B produces lithium ion and helium (alpha-particles), which are high linear energy transfer (LET) particles, and dissipate their kinetic energy before traveling one cell diameter (5-9 microm) in biological tissues, ensuring their potential for precise cell killing. BNCT has been applied clinically for the treatment of malignant brain tumors, malignant melanoma, head and neck cancer, and hepatoma using two boron compounds: sodium borocaptate (Na(2)(10)B(12)H(11)SH; Na(2)(10)BSH) and l-p-boronophenylalanine (l-(10)BPA). These low molecular weight compounds are cleared easily from the cancer cells and blood. Therefore, high accumulation and selective delivery of boron compounds into tumor tissues are most important to achieve effective BNCT and to avoid damage of adjacent healthy cells. Much attention has been focused on the liposomal drug delivery system (DDS) as an attractive, intelligent technology of targeting and controlled release of (10)B compounds. Two approaches have been investigated for incorporation of (10)B into liposomes: (1) encapsulation of (10)B compounds into liposomes and (2) incorporation of (10)B-conjugated lipids into the liposomal bilayer. Our laboratory has developed boron ion cluster lipids for application of the latter approach. In this chapter, our boron lipid liposome approaches as well as recent developments of the liposomal boron delivery system are summarized.

Synthesis, cellular uptake and animal toxicity of a tetra(carboranylphenyl)-tetrabenzoporphyrin

A water-soluble nido-carboranyl-tetrabenzoporphyrin has been synthesized in 43% overall yield, by condensation of butanopyrrole with a carboranylbenzaldehyde, followed by metal insertion, oxidation, demetallation and deboronation reactions. This compound accumulated within human glioblastoma T98G cells to a significant higher extent than a structurally related nido-carboranylporphyrin, and localized preferentially in the cell lysosomes. Animal toxicity studies using male and female BALB/c mice revealed that both compounds are non-toxic even at a dose of 160 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally as a single injection at a concentration of 4 mg/mL. It is concluded that the tetra(carboranylphenyl)-tetrabenzoporphyrin is a promising new sensitizer for the treatment of malignant tumors.

Synthesis and characterization of a carboranyl-tetrabenzoporphyrin

An expeditious synthetic route to a carboranyl-substituted tetrabenzoporphyrin is reported. The absorption and emission spectra of water-soluble tetrabenzoporphyrin 4 are distinct from those of a known carboranylporphyrin (5). Both tetrabenzoporphyrin 4 and porphyrin 5 were found to be non-toxic toward V79 hamster lung fibroblast cells at 300 microM, using an MTT assay. The X-ray structure of a Cu(II)-carboranyl-tetrabenzoporphyrin is presented and discussed.

Biodistribution of a carborane-containing porphyrin as a targeting agent for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of oral cancer in the hamster cheek pouch

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a bimodal cancer treatment based on the selective accumulation of 10B in tumors and concurrent irradiation with thermalized neutrons. The short-range, high-LET radiation produced by the capture of neutrons by 10B could potentially control tumor while sparing normal tissue if the boron compound targets tumor selectively within the treatment volume. In previous studies, we proposed and validated the hamster cheek pouch model of oral cancer for BNCT studies, proved that absolute and relative uptake of the clinically employed boron compound boronophenylalanine (BPA) would be potentially therapeutic in this model and provided evidence of the efficacy of in vivo BPA-mediated BNCT to control hamster oral mucosa tumors with virtually no damage to normal tissue. We herein present the biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of a lipophilic, carborane-containing tetraphenylporphyrin (CuTCPH) in the hamster oral cancer model. CuTCPH is a novel, non-toxic compound that may be advantageous in terms of selective and absolute delivery of boron to tumor tissues. For potentially effective BNCT, tumor boron concentrations from a new agent should be greater than 30 ppm and tumor/blood and tumor/normal tissue boron concentration ratios should be greater than 5/1 without causing significant toxicity. We administered CuTCPH intraperitoneally (i.p.) as a single dose of 32 microg/g body weight (b.w.) (10 microg B/g b.w.) or as four doses of 32 microg/g b.w. over 2 days. Blood (Bl) and tissues were sampled at 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, and 72 h in the single-dose protocol and at 1-4 days after the last injection in the multidose protocol. The tissues sampled were tumor (T), precancerous tissue surrounding tumor, normal pouch (N), skin, tongue, cheek and palate mucosa, liver, spleen, parotid gland and brain. The maximum mean B ratios for the single-dose protocol were T/N: 9.2/1 (12h) and T/Bl: 18.1/1 (72 h). The B value peaked to 20.7+/-18.5 ppm in tumor at 24h. The multidose protocol maximum mean ratios were T/N: 11.9/1 (3 days) and T/Bl: 235/1 (4 days). Absolute boron concentration in tumor reached a maximum value of 116 ppm and a mean value of 71.5+/-48.3 ppm at 3 days. The fact that absolute and relative B values markedly exceeded the BNCT therapeutic threshold with no apparent toxicity may confer on this compound a therapeutic advantage. CuTCPH-mediated BNCT would be potentially useful for the treatment of oral cancer in an experimental model.

Synthesis, dark toxicity and induction of in vitro DNA photodamage by a tetra(4-nido-carboranylphenyl)porphyrin

The total synthesis of tetra(4-carboranylphenyl)porphyrins 4 and 6 and their zinc(II) complexes 5 and 7 are described. These compounds were characterized by analytical and spectroscopic methods and, in the case of 5, by X-ray crystallography. The water-soluble nido-carboranylporphyrins 6 and 7 were found to have low dark toxicity towards V79 hamster lung fibroblast cells, using a clonogenic assay (50% colony survival, CS(50)>300 microM). Upon light activation nido-carboranylporphyrin 6 effectively induced DNA damage in vitro. Two different methods were used to assess the extent of DNA damage: the super-coiled to nicked DNA and the alkaline Comet assay using human leukemia K562 cells. Significant PDT-induced DNA damage was observed for porphyrin 6 using both assays, compared to light-only and porphyrin-only experiments. It is concluded that this type of nido-carboranylporphyrin is a promising sensitizer for both the boron neutron capture therapy and the photodynamic therapy of tumors.

Syntheses and preliminary biological studies of four meso-Tetra[(nido-carboranylmethyl)phenyl]porphyrins

Two meso-tetra[(nido-carboranylmethyl)phenyl]porphyrins (para- and meta-regioisomers) and their corresponding Zn(II) complexes have been synthesized with the aim of studying the effect of carborane distribution and metalation on the biological properties of this series of compounds. In vitro cell toxicity, uptake/efflux, and subcellular localization using rat 9L, mouse B16 and/or human U-373MG cells were evaluated. All four amphiphilic porphyrins display very low cytotoxicities and time- and concentration-dependent uptake by cells, which is influenced by serum proteins. Preliminary subcellular localization studies suggest that one of these compounds localizes in close proximity to the cell nucleus. All four nido-carboranylporphyrins show promise as boron-carriers for the boron neutron capture therapy of cancers, particularly the metal-free nido-carboranylporphyrins 5 and 12, which are able to deliver higher amount of boron to cells in vitro than the corresponding zinc complexes.

Synthesis of a nickel tetracarboranylphenylporphyrin for boron neutron-capture therapy: biodistribution and toxicity in tumor-bearing mice

Nickel-2,3,7,8,12,13,17,18-octaacetic acid-5,10,15,20-tetra-[3-carboranyl-methoxyphenyl]-porphyrin octamethylester (NiTCP) was given in a Cremophor EL, a polyethoxylated castor oil, and propylene glycol emulsion to BALB/c mice bearing transplanted s.c. KHJJ mammary carcinomas. A total dose of 244 microg NiTCP/gram body weight (gbw) (54 microg B/gbw) was given in 6 i.p. injections over a 32 hr period. Observations of behavior and changes in body weight and chemical and hematological blood tests indicated little or no toxicity from NiTCP over a period of 6-90 hr after injections. Boron concentrations near tumor margins were 160-180 microg B/g at 41-90 hr after the last injection. Tumor:normal brain boron concentration ratios reached approx. 10:1 and tumor:blood ratios reached approx. 250:1 after 4 days. There was no evidence of thrombocytopenia or other potentially important toxicities. Our findings place NiTCP among the leading candidates for pre-clinical experiments aimed toward improvement upon the compounds being tested for boron neutron-capture therapy of glioblastoma multiforme.