The study of hyaluronic acid compounds for neutron capture and photon activation therapies

The therapy of radioresistant tumors remains an urgent problem in medicine. To solve this problem neutron capture therapy (NCT) and photon activation therapy (PAT) are used. The essential feature of this such technique is the uptake of tumor chemical elements, which interact with thermal neutrons (NCT) and X-rays (PAT). The aims of the investigation were to study a biodistribution of the complexes of hyaluronic acid with boron (3 mg B mL−1) and gold (20 mg Au mL−1) in mice with melanoma B-16 after intratumoral administration. An optimal time for NCT was 30 minutes after administration when boron concentration in the tumor was more than 30 μg g−1 and exceeded boron content in surrounding tissues. The maximal gold content in tumor (180–260 mg g−1) was obtained in 30 minutes after the preparation introduction. The highest ratios of gold in tumor and surrounding tissues (a necessary condition for forming of the local absorbed dose in tumor) was obtained in 0.5 and 1 h. On the basis of the data obtained, it is possible to assume the perspectives of the non-toxic boron compounds for use in NCT and the gold compounds for use primarily as contrast agents for diagnostic purposes.