ORIGINAL RESEARCH article
Front. Oncol.
Sec. Radiation Oncology
This article is part of the Research TopicInnovative Approaches in Precision Radiation OncologyView all 25 articles
Proton-Boron Capture Interaction Enhances Killing of Radiation Resistant Cancer Cells
Provisionally accepted
- 1Radiation Medicine/Radiation Physics, Department of Radiation Medicine, MedStar Georgetown University Hospital, Washington, DC, DC, United States
- 2Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington, United States
- 3The George Washington University, Washington, United States
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Background/Objectives: Studies involving the interaction of protons with boron (11B) have shown potential for enhanced cell killing in cancer cells. However, theoretical analyses conducted using Monte Carlo simulations have not corroborated the experimental findings. Our objective is to independently investigate the effects of proton-boron capture interaction on the killing of cancer cells in SQ20-B and MCF-7 cells. Methods: Cell survival and DNA damage endpoints were analyzed in radiation resistant SQ-20B cells and in radiation sensitive MCF-7 cancer cells after exposure to 11B (BSH11) and proton irradiation. Clonogenic cell survival curves were assessed to fit the Linear Quadratic (LQ) and Single-Hit Multi-Target (SHMT) models. Additionally, H2AX foci were quantified to evaluate DNA damage up to 24 hours post irradiation, comparing the effects of proton irradiation alone to proton irradiation in the presence of boron in SQ-20B cells. Results: Exposure of cells to BSH11 resulted in decreased survival of SQ-20B cells following proton irradiation as compared to untreated control cells. Assays measuring H2AX showed prolonged presence of H2AX foci in cells after proton exposure in the presence of BSH11. In contrast, cells treated with BSH11 and irradiated with Cs-137 -rays did not show cell killing enhancement. Additionally, cells treated with BSH10, an analog of BSH11 that contains only 10B, displayed no change in survival after proton irradiation compared to untreated cells. Conclusions: Our data show a small enhancement of cell killing by proton radiation in the presence of BSH11 that we attribute to the proton-boron interaction. Analysis of H2AX demonstrates a prolonged duration of foci formation in cells after proton irradiation in the presence of BSH11. Further research will be needed to better understand the potential clinical applications of proton-boron interaction.
Keywords: Boron, proton, irradiation, Cell Survival, H2AX, SQ-20B, MCF-7, BSH
Received: 07 Oct 2025; Accepted: 25 Nov 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Pang, Jung, Velena, Parke and Dritschilo. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence: Dalong Pang
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