Takahiro Nomoto

In the current clinical boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), <i>p</i>-boronophenylalanine (BPA) has been the most powerful drug owing to its ability to accumulate selectively within cancers through cancer-related amino acid transporters including LAT1. However, the therapeutic success of BPA has been sometimes compromised by its unfavorable efflux from cytosol due to their antiport mechanism. Here, we report that poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) can form complexes with BPA through reversible boronate

Photodynamic therapy (PDT) is a promising treatment modality for malignant tumors in a light-selective manner. To improve the PDT efficacy, numerous kinds of nanocarriers have been developed to deliver photosensitizers (PSs) selectively into the tumor through leaky tumor-associated vasculature. However, the corresponding prolonged retention of the nanocarrier in the bloodstream may lead to unfavorable photochemical damage to normal tissues such as skin. Here, we report an organic-inorganic hybri

Cancer cells have high iron requirements due to their rapid growth and proliferation. Iron depletion using iron chelators has a potential in cancer treatment. Previous studies have demonstrated that deferoxamine (DFO) specifically chelates Fe(III) and exhibited antitumor activity in clinical studies. However, its poor pharmacokinetics has limited the therapeutic potential and practical application. Although polymeric iron chelators have been developed to increase the blood retention, none of pre

5-Aminolevulinic acid (5-ALA) is an amino acid that can be metabolized into a photosensitizer, protoporphyrin IX (PpIX) selectively in a tumor cell, permitting minimally invasive photodynamic diagnosis/therapy. However, some malignant tumor cells have excess intracellular labile iron and facilitate the conversion of PpIX into heme, which compromises the therapeutic potency of 5-ALA. Here, we examined the potential of chelation of such unfavorable intratumoral labile iron in photodynamic therapy