Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a bimodal radiotherapeutic treatment based on the neutron irradiation of neoplastic tissues, which are able to selectively accumulate molecules loaded with nuclides having large neutron capture cross-section such boron-10. Boron-10 carriers tested so far are limited, and clinical trials are conducted on sulphydrilborane (10B-BSH) and boronophenylalanine (10B-BPA). Precise and accurate measurements of boron-10 concentrations (i. e. 0.1-100 µg/g) in specimens and samples of limited sizes (µg scale), is mandatory for biological characterisation of new compounds, for predictive tissue dosimetry, toxicology and pharmacology studies as well as for clinical investigations. A new approach based on fast separation and detection of 10B-BPA performed by coupling capillary electrophoresis to electrospray mass spectrometry is reported. This method allows the quantitative analysis and the characterisation of 10B-BPA in a short time with a high efficiency of separation. Detection limits of 3 µM for 10B-BPA and 30 ng/mL for 10B were obtained with CE-ESI-MS. A quantification limit of 10 µM for 10B-BPA (i.e. 100 ng/mL for 10B) was attained. Total boron-10 concentration has been determined by high resolution inductively coupled mass spectrometry for method validation. By HR-ICP-MS isotope measurements for boron-10 determination were carried out at medium resolution (R = 4000) due to the presence of an isobaric interference at mass 10. Good agreement is obtained between the values from CE-ESI-MS and those from HR-ICP-MS. The method has been successfully used for the determination of 10B-BPA in two lines of cultured cells.

PITOIS Aurelien;  ALDAVE DE LAS HERAS Laura;  ZAMPOLLI A.;  MENICHETTI L.;  CARLOS MARQUEZ Ramon;  LAZZERINI G.;  CIONINI L.;  SALVATORI P.;  BETTI Maria; 

2006-05-24

SPRINGER VERLAG

JRC30939

https://publications.jrc.ec.europa.eu/repository/handle/JRC30939,   

10.1007/s00216-005-0208-1,