Evaluation Of Boron's Anticancer Effect

Boron, which is a micronutrient, has various important biological functions in plants, animals, and humans. Cancer, the disease of our time with high incidence and mortality rates worldwide, is a genomic disease that profoundly affects quality of life. Despite the discovery of new drugs and new treatment methods thanks to advancing technology, the disease's recovery and survival rates have not yet reached the desired levels. Additionally, due to the side effects, drug resistances, and toxicities caused by the drugs used, researchers continue their relentless search for natural products that can be used in cancer treatment and/or supportive treatment. Recent studies have shown that boron exhibits anticancer effects on certain types of cancer, exerting this effect by influencing the migration, proliferation, and survival properties of cancer cells. In addition to boron's biological effects, advances in nanotechnology have also enabled boron to be transformed into more targeted, controlled, and powerful treatment approaches in the form of nanoparticles. Within the scope of this review, the effects of boron on cancer cell lines have been evaluated in the literature, and it has been emphasized that both elemental boron and boron-based nanotechnological platforms hold promising potential for cancer treatment. However, in order to translate this potential into clinical practice, comprehensive in vitro, in vivo, and clinical researches involving boron and boron nanoparticles are required.