Don't Be a Boron! Boron Chemistry and Its Uses in Medicine

This thesis aims to give a current account of the status of boron chemistry in medicine. The first chapter examines the chemical novelty of boron, and therefore the unique bonding capabilities that make it particularly useful in biological systems. The second chapter gives a detailed account of Boron Neutron Capture Therapy (BNCT) and its uses in treating high-grade gliomas, including a description of the several waves of research and development of BNCT. Built into this chapter is a discussion of the challenges that BNCT development poses for researchers. The third chapter investigates the criteria needed for an effective BNCT delivery agent followed by an in-depth analysis of the proposed delivery agents to date, examining the strengths and short-comings of each of these delivery agents. Finally, the fourth chapter discusses the far-reaching uses of boron in medicine beyond of the realm of BNCT. This paper serves to demonstrate that boron has many uses in the medical field and should be carefully examined as perhaps a superior alternative to contemporary medical treatments and pharmaceuticals.