Cancer is one of the main threats to human health. In recent years, a new targeted and precise radiation therapy method, boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT), has rapidly developed and has shown good therapeutic effects on recurrent, invasive, and locally metastatic tumors, especially recurrent gliomas, recurrent head and neck tumors, malignant melanoma, and malignant meningiomas. For other common tumors such as liver cancer, lung cancer, and prostate cancer, this technology has also been clinically tested and achieved initial results. In China, the accelerator based boron neutron capture therapy equipment (AB-BNCT) independently designed and developed by China National Nuclear Corporation's subsidiary, China Baoyuan Investment Co., Ltd., is progressing smoothly and is expected to be completed by 2026. This will take an important step forward in the innovation of high-end medical devices in China, and improve the level of targeted cancer treatment. Boron neutron capture therapy is a targeted radiotherapy technique that can accurately kill tumors at the cellular level, also known as the "cell knife". Yang Jianjun, Chief Engineer of CNNC Kunboron, introduced that the principle is to inject a targeted molecular drug carrying the stable isotope boron 10 atomic nucleus into the human body. The drug can be enriched and retained in tumor cells, and then external irradiation of the tumor site is carried out through an ultra-hot neutron beam. During irradiation, the boron 10 atomic nuclei enriched in tumor tissue absorb thermal neutrons and immediately release them α The "boron neutron capture reaction" refers to two heavy ion rays with a range of only about 10 micrometers (about the size of a cancer cell) and high linear energy transfer, namely the particle and lithium 7 particle Yang Jianjun explained that this process can cause DNA double strand breaks in tumor cells, making them irreparable and completely dead, thereby accurately killing the tumor and effectively inhibiting tumor recurrence. In addition to good targeting, boron neutron capture therapy has other advantages. Zhong Junqing, Chairman of CNNC Kunboron, gave an example that compared to other radiation therapy methods, boron neutron capture therapy only requires 1 to 2 exposures and is shorter in time. Boron neutron capture therapy is one of the cutting-edge targeted therapy technologies in the field of tumor therapy. Especially with the development of accelerator neutron sources, high-throughput neutrons can be generated by bombarding target materials with charged particle beams (such as proton beams) of certain energy. Compared with reactor neutron sources, accelerator neutron sources produce a more ideal distribution of thermal neutron energy and are more suitable for treating deep tumors in the human body. Developing boron neutron capture therapy equipment that can be used clinically has become one of the key factors in the development of this technology. "Boron neutron capture therapy equipment is a complex system engineering that integrates multiple disciplines such as nuclear physics and neutron physics, accelerator technology, nuclear medical imaging, and is also a typical interdisciplinary research field," said Yang Jianjun, The neutrons required for boron neutron capture therapy are hyperthermic neutrons, with an energy range much smaller than fast neutrons and a much slower speed. They only produce lethality when combined with the boron 10 nucleus. How to make the neutron target station produce as many hyperthermic neutrons as possible and as few fast neutrons and gamma rays as possible? Zhong Junqing introduced that in order to overcome technical difficulties as soon as possible and complete the research and development of the entire equipment, CNNC Kunboron actively carries out joint technical research and development with domestic universities and institutions, and develops boron neutron capture therapy equipment
Edit：GuoGuo Responsible editor：FangZhiYou
Source：people.cn
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