Boron Neutron Capture Therapy and Neutron Source Engineering

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy and Neutron Source Engineering

This community develops the neutron sources, beamlines, and boron delivery agents required for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a targeted cancer treatment that uses neutron radiation to destroy tumor cells.

The work centers on the physics and engineering of neutron production, including spallation sources, compact accelerators, and laser-driven plasma systems. It also covers the design of boron compounds, such as boron clusters and boronophenylalanine, to deliver boron specifically to cancer cells. Significant effort is directed toward Monte Carlo simulations to model neutron spectra and dose distribution, as well as the development of neutron detectors and imaging systems. The research spans the full chain from nuclear data evaluation and reactor design to the clinical application of radiation therapy for cancers like glioblastoma and uveal melanoma.

The community is most heavily represented in boron research, accounting for 6.0% of all tracked boron literature and comprising 2,019 papers. It also contributes significantly to californium research (11.5% share) and beryllium research (1.9% share).

The community comprises 8,705 papers, published primarily in Applied Radiation and Isotopes, Nuclear Science and Engineering, and Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A.

Recent work focuses on the clinical evaluation of BNCT agents, including extended follow-up studies for glioblastoma and the integration of adoptive cell therapy with boron delivery. Other recent studies address the synthesis of new boron clusters and the optimization of neutron source designs for compact medical applications.

Papers behind this description

• The Rise of Boron-Containing Compounds: Advancements in Synthesis, Medicinal Chemistry, and Emerging Pharmacology — Chemical Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1021/acs.chemrev.3c00663
• The joint evaluated fission and fusion nuclear data library, JEFF-3.3 — The European Physical Journal A, 2020 — doi:10.1140/epja/s10050-020-00141-9
• Boron catalysis in a designer enzyme — Nature, 2024 — doi:10.1038/s41586-024-07391-3
• Next generation of boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) agents for cancer treatment — Medicinal Research Reviews, 2023 — doi:10.1002/med.21964
• Optimizing Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) to Treat Cancer: An Updated Review on the Latest Developments on Boron Compounds and Strategies — Cancers, 2023 — doi:10.3390/cancers15164091
• Evaluation of sodium borocaptate (BSH) and boronophenylalanine (BPA) as boron delivery agents for neutron capture therapy (NCT) of cancer: an update and a guide for the future clinical evaluation of new boron delivery agents for NCT — Cancer Communications, 2024 — doi:10.1002/cac2.12582
• Novel promising boron agents for boron neutron capture therapy: Current status and outlook on the future — Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2024.215795
• Chemistry of three-dimensional icosahedral boron clusters anions: closo-dodecaborate (2-) [B12H12]2- and carba-closo-dodecaborate(-) [CB11H12]- — Coordination Chemistry Reviews, 2024 — doi:10.1016/j.ccr.2024.215974
• A PD‐L1 siRNA‐Loaded Boron Nanoparticle for Targeted Cancer Radiotherapy and Immunotherapy — Advanced Materials, 2025 — doi:10.1002/adma.202419418
• Molecular engineering of AIE-active boron clustoluminogens for enhanced boron neutron capture therapy — Chemical Science, 2024 — doi:10.1039/d3sc06222h
• Boron clusters as broadband membrane carriers — Nature, 2022 — doi:10.1038/s41586-022-04413-w
• The multi-slit very small angle neutron scattering instrument at the China Spallation Neutron Source — Journal of Applied Crystallography, 2024 — doi:10.1107/s1600576724000815
• State-of-the-art boron clusters for boron neutron-capture therapy — Theranostics, 2026 — doi:10.7150/thno.123376
• Boron neutron capture therapy preserves immune cells and induces robust anti-tumour immunity in preclinical mouse model — Nature Communications, 2026 — doi:10.1038/s41467-025-67984-y
• Coupling Adoptive Cell Therapy with Boron Neutron Capture Therapy: Using Functional Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes for Tumor Delivery of Boron Carbide Nanoparticles — ACS Nano, 2025 — doi:10.1021/acsnano.5c12640
• Extended follow-up of recurrent glioblastoma patients treated with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT): Long-term survival from a Phase II trial (JG002) using Cyclotron Neutron Source and Boronophenylalanine — Applied Radiation and Isotopes, 2025 — doi:10.1016/j.apradiso.2025.112118
• Boron-ellagic acid hybrids as a molecular arrow: multi-targeted inhibition of AChE, anticancer activity, and antimicrobial action against MRSA and MDR E. coli, supported by docking analyses — Journal of Molecular Liquids, 2025 — doi:10.1016/j.molliq.2025.128953
• Advances in Clinical Trials of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy — Research, 2026 — doi:10.34133/research.0988