Receptor-targeted liposomal delivery of boron-containing cholesterol mimics for boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT).

Liposomes have been a main focus of tumor-selective boron delivery strategies in boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), a binary method for the treatment of cancer that is based on the nuclear reaction between boron atoms and low-energy thermal neutrons. Three novel carboranyl cholesterol derivatives were prepared as lipid bilayer components for the construction of nontargeted and receptor-targeted boronated liposomes for BNCT. A major structural feature of these novel boronated cholesterol mimics is the replacement of the B and the C ring of cholesterol with a carborane cluster.