Growth of boron-rich supramolecular polymers inside cancer cells through organocatalysis-mediated self-assembly

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) has emerged as a precise and safe radiotherapy technique for the treatment of cancers. To achieve ideal radiotherapy effects, the major hurdle lies in the enrichment of boron in cancer cells. Here, a strategy of organocatalysis-mediated intracellular growth of supramolecular polymers for the accumulation of boron in cancer cells is described. The involved organocatalyst can accelerate the intracellular formation and self-assembly of boron-containing monomers, generating boron-rich supramolecular polymers in cancer cells that lead to 2.4 times higher boron content than in the non-assembling case. This work would accelerate the exploitation of new boron delivery methods for high-efficiency BNCT.