Accessibility Statement Skip Navigation
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
Return to PR Newswire homepage
  • News
  • Products
  • Contact
When typing in this field, a list of search results will appear and be automatically updated as you type.

Searching for your content...

No results found. Please change your search terms and try again.
  • News in Focus
      • Browse News Releases

      • All Public Company News
      • All Multimedia News
      • View All News Releases

      • Regulatory News

      • D/A/CH Regulatory News
      • UK Regulatory News
      • View All Regulatory News

  • Business & Money
      • Auto & Transportation

      • Aerospace & Defense
      • Air Freight
      • Airlines & Aviation
      • Automotive
      • Maritime & Shipbuilding
      • Railroads & Intermodal Transportation
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Transportation, Trucking & Railroad
      • Travel
      • Trucking & Road Transportation
      • View All Auto & Transportation

      • Business Technology

      • Blockchain
      • Broadcast Tech
      • Computer & Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Components
      • Electronic Design Automation
      • Financial Technology
      • High Tech Security
      • Internet Technology
      • Nanotechnology
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Semiconductors
      • View All Business Technology

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Financial Services & Investing

      • Accounting News & Issues
      • Acquisitions, Mergers & Takeovers
      • Banking & Financial Services
      • Bankruptcy
      • Bond & Stock Ratings
      • Conference Call Announcements
      • Contracts
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Dividends
      • Earnings
      • Earnings Forecasts & Projections
      • Financing Agreements
      • Insurance
      • Investments Opinions
      • Joint Ventures
      • Mutual Funds
      • Private Placement
      • Real Estate
      • Restructuring & Recapitalisation
      • Sales Reports
      • Shareholder Activism
      • Shareholder Meetings
      • Stock Offering
      • Stock Split
      • Venture Capital
      • View All Financial Services & Investing

      • General Business

      • Awards
      • Commercial Real Estate
      • Corporate Expansion
      • Earnings
      • Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG)
      • Human Resource & Workforce Management
      • Licensing
      • New Products & Services
      • Obituaries
      • Outsourcing Businesses
      • Overseas Real Estate (non-US)
      • Personnel Announcements
      • Real Estate Transactions
      • Residential Real Estate
      • Small Business Services
      • Socially Responsible Investing
      • Surveys, Polls & Research
      • Trade Show News
      • View All General Business

  • Science & Tech
      • Consumer Technology

      • Artificial Intelligence
      • Blockchain
      • Cloud Computing/Internet of Things
      • Computer Electronics
      • Computer Hardware
      • Computer Software
      • Consumer Electronics
      • Cryptocurrency
      • Data Analytics
      • Electronic Commerce
      • Electronic Gaming
      • Financial Technology
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Multimedia & Internet
      • Peripherals
      • Social Media
      • STEM (Science, Tech, Engineering, Math)
      • Supply Chain/Logistics
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Consumer Technology

      • Energy & Natural Resources

      • Alternative Energies
      • Chemical
      • Electrical Utilities
      • Gas
      • General Manufacturing
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Oil & Energy
      • Oil & Gas Discoveries
      • Utilities
      • Water Utilities
      • View All Energy & Natural Resources

      • Environ­ment

      • Conservation & Recycling
      • Environmental Issues
      • Environmental Policy
      • Environmental Products & Services
      • Green Technology
      • Natural Disasters
      • View All Environ­ment

      • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Aerospace & Defence
      • Agriculture
      • Chemical
      • Construction & Building
      • General Manufacturing
      • HVAC (Heating, Ventilation & Air-Conditioning)
      • Machinery
      • Machine Tools, Metalworking & Metallurgy
      • Mining
      • Mining & Metals
      • Paper, Forest Products & Containers
      • Precious Metals
      • Textiles
      • Tobacco
      • View All Heavy Industry & Manufacturing

      • Telecomm­unications

      • Carriers & Services
      • Mobile Entertainment
      • Networks
      • Peripherals
      • Telecommunications Equipment
      • Telecommunications Industry
      • VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol)
      • Wireless Communications
      • View All Telecomm­unications

  • Lifestyle & Health
      • Consumer Products & Retail

      • Animals & Pets
      • Beers, Wines & Spirits
      • Beverages
      • Bridal Services
      • Cannabis
      • Cosmetics & Personal Care
      • Fashion
      • Food & Beverages
      • Furniture & Furnishings
      • Home Improvement
      • Household, Consumer & Cosmetics
      • Household Products
      • Jewellery
      • Non-Alcoholic Beverages
      • Office Products
      • Organic Food
      • Product Recalls
      • Restaurants
      • Retail
      • Supermarkets
      • Toys
      • View All Consumer Products & Retail

      • Entertain­ment & Media

      • Advertising
      • Art
      • Books
      • Entertainment
      • Film & Motion Picture
      • Magazines
      • Music
      • Publishing & Information Services
      • Radio & Podcast
      • Television
      • View All Entertain­ment & Media

      • Health

      • Biometrics
      • Biotechnology
      • Clinical Trials & Medical Discoveries
      • Dentistry
      • FDA Approval
      • Fitness/Wellness
      • Health Care & Hospitals
      • Health Insurance
      • Infection Control
      • International Medical Approval
      • Medical Equipment
      • Medical Pharmaceuticals
      • Mental Health
      • Pharmaceuticals
      • Supplementary Medicine
      • View All Health

      • Sports

      • General Sports
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Sporting Events
      • Sports Equipment & Accessories
      • View All Sports

      • Travel

      • Amusement Parks & Tourist Attractions
      • Gambling & Casinos
      • Hotels & Resorts
      • Leisure & Tourism
      • Outdoors, Camping & Hiking
      • Passenger Aviation
      • Travel Industry
      • View All Travel

  • Policy & Public Interest
      • Policy & Public Interest

      • Animal Welfare
      • Corporate Social Responsibility
      • Economic News, Trends & Analysis
      • Education
      • Environmental
      • European Government
      • Labour & Union
      • Natural Disasters
      • Not For Profit
      • Public Safety
      • View All Policy & Public Interest

  • People & Culture
      • People & Culture

      • Aboriginal, First Nations & Native American
      • African American
      • Asian American
      • Children
      • Diversity, Equity & Inclusion
      • Hispanic
      • Lesbian, Gay & Bisexual
      • Men's Interest
      • People with Disabilities
      • Religion
      • Senior Citizens
      • Veterans
      • Women
      • View All People & Culture

  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multichannel Amplification
  • Disclosure Services
  • SocialBoost
  • Rooms
    • MediaRoom
    • ESG Rooms
  • AI Tools
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Hamburger menu
  • Cision PR Newswire UK provides press release distribution, targeting, monitoring, and marketing services
  • Send a Release
    • Phone

    • +44 (0)20 7454 5110 from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

    • ALL CONTACT INFO
    • Contact Us

      +44 (0)20 7454 5110
      from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT

  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • News in Focus
    • Browse News Releases
    • Regulatory News
  • Business & Money
    • Auto & Transportation
    • Business Technology
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Financial Services & Investing
    • General Business
  • Science & Tech
    • Consumer Technology
    • Energy & Natural Resources
    • Environ­ment
    • Heavy Industry & Manufacturing
    • Telecomm­unications
  • Lifestyle & Health
    • Consumer Products & Retail
    • Entertain­ment & Media
    • Health
    • Sports
    • Travel
  • Policy & Public Interest
    • Policy & Public Interest
  • People & Culture
    • People & Culture
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Overview
  • Distribution
  • Paid Placement
  • Multichannel Amplification
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®
  • AI Tools
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships
  • Client Login
  • Send a Release
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists

Okayama University research: Nanotechnology for making cancer drugs more accessible to the brain


News provided by

Okayama University

23 Feb, 2021, 04:15 GMT

Share this article

Share toX

Share this article

Share toX

OKAYAMA, Japan, Feb. 23, 2021 /PRNewswire/ --  In a study reported in the Journal of Controlled Release, researchers from Okayama University describe the use of nanocarriers in selectively transporting anticancer drugs to brain tumors.

Glioblastoma is an aggressive form of brain cancer that is best treated with boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). BNCT involves the use of an agent that delivers boron into tumor tissues. When subsequently hit with radiation, boron (typically the 10B isotope is used) emits particles that kill neighboring cells. However, current methods do not cargo boron into cancer cells homogenously. Now, Associate professor MICHIUE Hiroyuki and Okayama university Neutron Therapy Research Center (NTRC) team have successfully used a nanocarrier that selectively delivers boron into brain tumors.

The carrier, known as the A6K peptide, is a nano-scale structure that spontaneously clusters to form hollow tubes when immersed in water. The peptide has a positively charged core, which attracts any negatively charged molecules in the vicinity and traps them inside it. Another bonus feature is that the assembled tubes easily pass through cell membranes. The researchers first combined varying concentrations of the A6K peptide and BSH (disodium undecahydro-mercapto-closo-dodecacarborate), a negatively charged boron-containing chemical. The ensuing complexes formed were observed under the electron microscope.

At high ratios of A6K: BSH a chaotic mess of branched complexes were produced, whereas at concentrations of 1:5 and lower, ordered spherical complexes were created. Seemingly, the BSH particles had been engulfed. These low concentration complexes were then introduced into glioma cells to find that they effectively penetrated the cancerous cells. However, the localization of only BSH into glioma cells was almost ten times less. A6K was thus highly competent in ushering BSH particles into the cells. Additionally, A6K-BSH did not induce any toxicity in the cells by itself.

To then investigate how the complexes were transported in the body, A6K-BSH was injected into the tails of mice with glioblastoma. Within 2 hours the levels of A6K-BSH peaked within the brain tumors of these mice. What's more, no drug complex was found in healthy tissues. Finally, the tumor-killing properties of A6K-BSH were assessed by treating cells with the complex and then bombarding the cells with radiation for 30 minutes. Within 24 hours, cells irradiated for 15 minutes or more stopped proliferating. The BSH-containing nanotubes were successful in targeting and preventing the growth of cancer cells.

"We aimed to demonstrate a new boron delivery system based on A6K peptide and BSH, and open up a novel direction for boron agents in the next generation of BNCT," claim the researchers. They also point out the convenience of using this system which simply involves one mixing step before use. While the system remains to be fully tested in animals, it paves the way for directed killing of hard-to-reach tumors.

Background
Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT): BNCT is a commonly used combination of drug and radiation therapy for cancers that are hard to target with traditional chemotherapy. BNCT involves transferring boron-containing compounds into cancer cells, and subsequently irradiating the cells with neutron beams. However, there are several challenges associated with traditional BNCT, such as ensuring that boron is escorted into tissues uniformly.

Pharmaceutical scientists are now designing novel delivery systems for these boron-containing compounds. A vast array of synthetic polymers has been investigated for this purpose, but these pose additional issues such as toxicity and degradation of the boron agents. The A6K nanotube is a small peptide molecule that has been used to deliver gene therapy in the past. This study demonstrates that the peptide can usher many more substances.

Related figure

https://www.okayama-u.ac.jp/up_load_files/research_highlights/129_image_1.jpg

Caption: Colonies of cells treated with the A6K-BSH complex reduced greatly when exposed to radiation for 15 minutes or more suggesting that the growth of cancer cells was halted.

Reference
Hiroyuki Michiue, Mizuki Kitamatsu, Asami Fukunaga, Nobushige Tsuboi, Atsushi Fujimura, Hiroaki Matsushita, Kazuyo Igawa, Tomonari Kasai, Natsuko Kondo, Hideki Matsui, Shuichi Furuya. Self-assembling A6K peptide nanotubes as a mercaptoundecahydrododecaborate (BSH) delivery system for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT). Journal of Controlled Release, 2020 Nov 11;330:788-796.
DOI : 10.1016/j.jconrel.2020.11.001
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168365920306489?via=ihub

Reference (Okayama Univ. e-Bulletin): Professor MICHIUE's team
OU-MRU Vol.14:Simplified boron compound may treat brain tumours

Correspondence to
Associate professor MICHIUE Hiroyuki, M.D., Ph.D.
Neutron Therapy Research Center, Okayama University,
Shikata-cho 2-5-1, Okayama-city, Okayama 700-8558,
Japan
E-mail: hmichiue(a)md.okayama-u.ac.jp
https://www.ntrc.okayama-u.ac.jp/en/index.html


Further information
Okayama University
1-1-1 Tsushima-naka , Kita-ku , Okayama 700-8530, Japan
Public Relations Division
E-mail: www-adm(a) adm.okayama-u.ac.jp

For inquiries, please contact us by replacing (a) with the @ mark.
Website: //www.okayama-u.ac.jp/index_e.html
Okayama Univ. e-Bulletin: //www.okayama-u.ac.jp/user/kouhou/ebulletin/
Okayama University supports the Sustainable Development Goals: https://sdgs.okayama-u.ac.jp/en/


Modal title

Contact PR Newswire

  • +44 (0)20 7454 5110
    from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • General Enquiries
  • Media Enquiries
  • Partnerships

Products

  • Content Distribution
  • Multimedia Services
  • Disclosure Services
  • Cision Communications Cloud®

About

  • About PR Newswire
  • About Cision
  • Partnering Opportunities
  • Careers
  • Accessibility Statement
  • APAC
  • APAC - Simplified Chinese
  • APAC - Traditional Chinese
  • Brazil
  • Canada
  • Czech
  • Denmark
  • Finland
  • France
  • Germany
  • India
  • Indonesia
  • Israel
  • Japan
  • Korea
  • Mexico
  • Middle East
  • Middle East - Arabic
  • Netherlands
  • Norway
  • Poland
  • Portugal
  • Russia
  • Slovakia
  • Spain
  • Sweden
  • United States
  • Vietnam

My Services

  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
  • Data Privacy

Do not sell or share my personal information:

  • Submit via Privacy@cision.com 
  • Call Privacy toll-free: 877-297-8921

Contact PR Newswire

Products

About

My Services
  • All News Releases
  • Customer Portal
  • Resources
  • Blog
  • Journalists
+44 (0)20 7454 5110
from 8 AM - 5:30 PM GMT
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy Policy
  • Information Security Policy
  • Site Map
  • RSS
  • Cookie Settings
Copyright © 2025 PR Newswire Europe Limited. All Rights Reserved. A Cision company.