Summary of recent BNCT Polish programme and future plans.
In this work we present Polish achievements on the ground of BNCT research. Starting from preliminary built therapeutic stand at MARIA reactor going through designing of unique detectors for in-phantom and in-beam measurements for mixed radiation fields and finally coming to boron carriers synthesizing and examination in cellular and animal models. Now it is planned to restart research on boron compounds in specially designed BIMA line, to set up epithermal neutron irradiation facility for BNCT research and education and to improve recombination detectors for neutron beams characterisation.
Requirements for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) at a Nuclear Research Reactor
An international workshop, funded by the JRC¿s Enlargement and Integration Action, took place in Prague in 2005 entitled ¿Requirements for BNCT at a Nuclear Research Reactor¿. The intention of the workshop was to exchange knowledge between the EU BNCT programme at the HFR Petten (EC, NL) and other existing clinical and preclinical research programmes on BNCT throughout Europe, with the special aim to transfer information towards groups and places that are preparing their own national BNCT projects. The future of nuclear research institutes will depend on their ability to open research programmes into new areas and to link nuclear technologies with other applications. Medicine is one of the most interesting but also sensitive areas for such multidisciplinary work. Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) is a dedicated and well-known topic that demonstrates such a link in an exemplary way. This book expands on some of the topics presented at the workshop. It is intended to support scientists, clinicians and politicians that are interested to develop a local or national BNCT activity. How to obtain EU publications Our priced publications are available from EU Bookshop (http://bookshop.europa.eu), where you can place an order with the sales agent of your choice. The Publications Office has a worldwide network of sales agents. You can obtain their contact details by sending a fax to (352) 29 29-42758. The mission of the JRC is to provide customer-driven scientific and technical support for the conception, development, implementation and monitoring of EU policies. As a service of the European Commission, the JRC functions as a reference centre of science and technology for the Union. Close to the policy-making process, it serves the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national. LD -N A -2330-EN -C
Microanalytical techniques for boron analysis using the 10B(n,α)7Li reaction
In order to predict the efficacy of boronated compounds for neutron capture therapy (NCT), it is mandatory that the boron concentration in tissues be known. Various techniques for measurement of trace amounts of boron (1–100 ppm) are available, including chemical and physical procedures. Experience has shown that, with the polyhedral boranes and carboranes in particular, the usual colorimetric and spark emission spectroscopic methods are not reliable. Although these compounds may be traced with additional radiolabels, direct physical detection of boron by nondestructive methods is clearly preferable. Boron analysis via detection of the prompt‐γ ray from the 1 0B(n,α)7Li reaction has been shown to be a reliable technique. Two prompt‐γ facilities developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory are described. One, at the 60‐MW high flux beam reactor, uses sophisticated beam extraction techniques to enhance thermal neutron intensity and reduce fast neutron and γ contamination. The other was constructed at Brookhaven’s 5‐MW medical research reactor and uses conventional shielding and electronics to provide an ‘‘on‐line’’ boron analysis facility adjacent to beams designed for NCT, thus satisfying one of the requisites for clinical application of this procedure. Technical restrictions attendant upon the synthesis and testing of boronated biomolecules often require the measurement of trace amounts of boron in extremely small (mg) samples. A track‐etching technique capable of detecting ng amounts of boron in mg liquid or cell samples is described. Thus it is possible to measure the boron content in small amounts (mg samples) of antibodies, or boron uptake in cellsgrown in tissue culture.