The Single Cell Boron Secret for Precision Cancer Therapy

Researchers measured boron in individual live cells of head and neck cancer, contributing to a better drug design and precision therapy techniques, published in the Journal of Analytical Atomic Spectrometry (1^✔ ✔Trusted Source
Kinetic analysis of boron therapeutics in head and neck cancer cells by complementary bulk ICP-MS and single-cell (scICP-MS) approaches

Go to source). Scientists from a University of Birmingham traced boron in live tumor cells using a technology called single-cell ICP-MS, allowing them to observe when and how treatments for head and neck cancers enter and exit cells.

Irradiating Tumors, One Boron Cell at a Time

Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a new form of therapeutic for head and neck cancer that involves patients taking a drug containing the element boron that accumulates in tumour cells.

The tumour is subsequently irradiated with neutrons that interact with boron which selectively kills cancer cells. BNCT relies on the drug getting into cancer cells at a sufficient level and then remaining there long enough for the neutron irradiation to be administered.

With this newly tested technique, researchers can begin to understand how to most effectively deliver BNCT for patients with head and neck cancers as a precision treatment.

Dr. James Coverdale from the School of Pharmacy at the University of Birmingham said: “Until now, it’s only been possible to measure average boron uptake in hundreds-of-thousands of cells, which masks important differences between individual cells. Our single-cell approach reveals this variability, which is critical in a tumour setting where heterogeneity often determines whether treatment works or fails.”

Improving the Cellular Environment for Keeping Cells Alive

“We believe the results are exciting because we now have the first direct evidence of how much boron is present in individual tumour cells, and how long it stays there. This information could help to optimise when neutron irradiation should be delivered relative to drug administration. By showing which transport pathways bring boron into cells, the work also offers clues for designing better drugs that accumulate more effectively. For the cancer drug discovery community, this study opens a new way of evaluating BNCT drug candidates.”

A key breakthrough was creating the right environment for cells to stay alive long enough for measurement, while maintaining compatibility with the highly sensitive equipment.

This challenge required the team to carefully optimise both the culture medium and the way cancer cells were introduced into the instrument. Without this step, the cells would rapidly deteriorate, making it impossible to capture meaningful data.

Jack Finch, co-first author of the study and University of Birmingham Biochemistry alumni said: "This will be vital for testing and comparing future BNCT drugs and will help to identify the most effective treatments. Ultimately, our work supports progress toward making the already promising BNCT into a more precise and effective cancer treatment."

Reference:

1. Kinetic analysis of boron therapeutics in head and neck cancer cells by complementary bulk ICP-MS and single-cell (scICP-MS) approaches - (https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2025/ja/d5ja00228a)

Source-Eurekalert