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Treatment for more advanced and challenging head and neck cancers can be enhanced with the inclusion of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is also an ingredient found in children’s glue. Researchers have discovered that combining PVA with a boron-based compound, D-BPA, boosts the effectiveness of a specific type of radiation therapy, outperforming currently available FDA-approved drugs. The PVA enhances the drug’s targeting of tumor cells while also prolonging its presence in the body, thereby reducing the risk of radiation harm to healthy tissues.
Treatment for more advanced and challenging head and neck cancers can be enhanced with the inclusion of polyvinyl alcohol (PVA), which is also an ingredient found in children’s glue. Researchers have discovered that combining PVA with a boron-based compound, D-BPA, boosts the effectiveness of a specific type of radiation therapy, outperforming currently available FDA-approved drugs. The PVA enhances the drug’s targeting of tumor cells while also prolonging its presence in the body, thereby reducing the risk of radiation harm to healthy tissues.
In 2020, Japan became the first nation to approve boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a targeted radiation treatment for cancer. This method involves administering a boron-rich medication to patients, which is meant to selectively gather in cancerous cells. Following this, patients are exposed to low-energy neutrons that interact with the boron, leading to the destruction of cancer cells while sparing healthy ones.
The benefits of BNCT are its selective targeting of boron-infused cells, which results in less damage to healthy tissues compared to other therapies. It has shown effectiveness against some particularly difficult and recurring cancer types. However, since low-energy neutrons are relatively weak, their application is restricted to certain regions of the body, with approval currently focused on head and neck cancers that are more accessible. The success of this treatment also hinges on both the concentration and the longevity of boron in tumor cells throughout the treatment process.
Recent studies led by Kakeru Konarita, a special research student, and Associate Professor Takahiro Nomoto at the University of Tokyo have revealed that incorporating PVA with the boron-containing compound significantly enhances its uptake and retention within cancer cells.
“We found that PVA, used commonly in liquid glue, dramatically boosts the effectiveness of a compound named D-BPA, which had previously been removed from drug lists due to being deemed ineffective,” Nomoto elaborated.
Neither PVA nor D-BPA has any therapeutic effects when used separately. Nevertheless, their combination led to remarkably improved tumor accumulation, longer retention, and strong therapeutic results compared to existing clinical drugs.
Currently, the only boron compound approved for use in BNCT is L-BPA. While it does accumulate effectively within cancer cells, its ability to also affect some healthy cells makes it unsuitable for certain tumors. D-BPA, which is the mirror image structure of L-BPA, appears to be more focused on cancer cells; however, it lacks the ability to accumulate on its own, leading to the notion that it is ineffective.
The research team had previously shown that mixing PVA with L-BPA enhanced its therapeutic value. In this new study, the combination of PVA with D-BPA yielded even greater boron accumulation and extended drug retention.
“The development of cancer treatment drugs involves many challenges, and recent research has leaned towards complex combinations of costly molecules,” Nomoto noted. “However, we worry that such methods may become prohibitively expensive, limiting accessibility for patients. In this research, our goal was to devise a drug with a straightforward structure and high efficacy at a more affordable cost.”
Moving forward, the team is encouraging collaborations between industry and academia to advance this research and hopes to extend these findings to the treatment of other difficult cancers.
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