(328p) Boron-Rich Fluorescent Silica Nanoparticles For Neutron Capture Therapy
AIChE Annual Meeting
2007
2007 Annual Meeting
Particle Technology Forum
Particle Technology Forum Poster Session
Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - 4:30pm to 6:30pm
The selective delivery of large numbers of boron atoms to cancerous cells is a requirement for the success of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT).
To this end, we have synthesized monodisperse boron-rich silica nanoparticles, either by a sol-gel process involving boric acid and alkoxysilanes, or by surface-initiated atom-transfer radical polymerization of boron-containing monomers. Several fluorone-based dyes (fluorescein, rhodamines) were also incorporated within the silica matrix, resulting in a strong and stable fluorescence which allows direct imaging of the particles by confocal microscopy. Further functionalization of such particles with tumor-targeting moieties such as integrins is currently under investigation.