| Features: micronutrient | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boron is a trace mineral. Used in treating yeast infections, improving athletic performance, or preventing osteoporosis. Current research suggests that boric acid can modulate intercellular calcium levels—with potential implications for cancer therapy—by: -Altering calcium channel activity and calcium influx, -Modifying downstream calcium-dependent signaling, and -Inducing apoptotic pathways preferentially in cancer cells due to their altered calcium handling dynamics. Abnormal increases in [Ca²⁺]ᵢ can trigger mitochondrial dysfunction and activate calcium-dependent apoptotic pathways. Boric acid has been observed in some cell culture studies to induce apoptosis in cancer cells. In normal cells, modest changes in [Ca²⁺]ᵢ induced by boric acid may not reach a threshold that triggers apoptosis or other stress responses. This could lead to a relative sparing of normal cells compared to cancer cells. Pathways: 1.Calcium Signaling Pathway In many cases, boron appears to normalize dysregulated calcium levels in cancer cells, often leading to an increase in calcium levels that can trigger calcium-dependent apoptotic pathways. 2.Apoptotic Pathways (Intrinsic and Extrinsic). Direction of Modulation: • Boron compounds may enhance the activation of apoptotic cascades. • Typically, an increase in intracellular calcium (as noted above) can further lead to mitochondrial dysfunction, cytochrome c release, and subsequent caspase activation, thereby promoting apoptosis. 3.PI3K/AKT/mTOR Pathway • Some studies indicate that boron-containing compounds can inhibit this pathway. • Inhibition of PI3K/AKT/mTOR signaling reduces survival signals and can decrease cellular proliferation and growth in tumor cell. 4.MAPK/ERK Pathway Boron may modulate the MAPK/ERK cascade by either dampening overactive mitogenic signals or altering the stress response. • This modulation can lead to reduced proliferation signals and may promote cell cycle arrest in cancer cells. 5.NF-κB Signaling Pathway • Some reports indicate that boron compounds can suppress NF-κB activity. • This suppression might be achieved indirectly through modulation of upstream signals (such as changes in calcium or the cellular redox status) leading to decreased transcription of pro-survival and pro-inflammatory genes. 6.Wnt/β-Catenin Pathway • Inhibition of Wnt/β-catenin signaling may interfere with proliferation and the maintenance of cancer stem cell populations. ROS: -ROS induction may be dose related. -Some studies report that when boron compounds are combined with other treatments (like chemotherapy or radiotherapy), there is a synergistic increase in ROS generation. Boron’s effects in a cancer context generally lean toward: • Normalizing dysregulated calcium signaling to push cells toward apoptotic death • Inhibiting pro-survival pathways such as PI3K/AKT/mTOR and NF-κB (1) is essential for the growth and maintenance of bone; (2) greatly improves wound healing; (3) beneficially impacts the body's use of estrogen, testosterone, and vitamin D; (4) boosts magnesium absorption; (5) reduces levels of inflammatory biomarkers, such as high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) and tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α); (6) raises levels of antioxidant enzymes, such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase, and glutathione peroxidase; (7) protects against pesticide-induced oxidative stress and heavy-metal toxicity; (8) improves the brains electrical activity, cognitive performance, and short-term memory for elders; (9) influences the formation and activity of key biomolecules, such as S-adenosyl methionine (SAM-e) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)); (10) has demonstrated preventive and therapeutic effects in a number of cancers, such as prostate, cervical, and lung cancers, and multiple and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma; and (11) may help ameliorate the adverse effects of traditional chemotherapeutic agents. -Note half-life 21 hrs average BioAv very high, 85-100% Pathways: - induce ROS productionin cancer cells, while reducing ROS in normal cells. - ROS↑ related: MMP↓(ΔΨm), ER Stress↑, UPR↑, GRP78↑, Ca+2↑,(contrary) Cyt‑c↑, Caspases↑, DNA damage↑, cl-PARP↑,(contrary) HSP↓, - Debateable if Lowers AntiOxidant defense in Cancer Cells: NRF2↓(most contrary), SOD↓(some contrary), GSH↓, Catalase↓(some contrary), HO1↓(contrary), GPx↓(some contrary) - Raises AntiOxidant defense in Normal Cells: ROS↓, NRF2↑, SOD↑, GSH↑, Catalase↑, - lowers Inflammation : NF-kB↓, COX2↓, Pro-Inflammatory Cytokines : NLRP3↓, IL-1β↓, TNF-α↓, IL-6↓, - inhibit Growth/Metastases : TumMeta↓, TumCG↓, EMT↓, IGF-1↓, VEGF↓, RhoA↓, NF-κB↓, TGF-β↓, α-SMA↓, ERK↓ - reactivate genes thereby inhibiting cancer cell growth : HDAC↓, P53↑, HSP↓, - some indication of Cell cycle arrest : TumCCA↑, cyclin D1↓, cyclin E↓, CDK2↓, CDK4↓, CDK6↓, - inhibits Migration/Invasion : TumCMig↓, TumCI↓, TNF-α↓, ERK↓, EMT↓, - small indication of inhibiting glycolysis : HIF-1α↓, cMyc↓, GRP78↑, Glucose↓, - small indication of inhibiting angiogenesis↓ : VEGF↓, HIF-1α↓, EGFR↓, - Others: PI3K↓, AKT↓, JAK↓, STAT↓, Wnt↓, β-catenin↓, AMPK, ERK↓, - SREBP (related to cholesterol). - Synergies: chemo-sensitization, chemoProtective, RadioSensitizer, RadioProtective, Others(review target notes), Neuroprotective, Cognitive, Renoprotection, Hepatoprotective, CardioProtective, - Selectivity: Cancer Cells vs Normal Cells Boron — Boron is a trace element; in human systemic biology its dominant freely circulating simple inorganic form is boric acid. In this context it is best classified as a micronutrient/exposure class rather than a single anticancer drug entity, although pharmacologic boric acid, boron-delivery agents for boron neutron capture therapy, and synthetic boron-containing drugs represent distinct therapeutic subcategories. Standard abbreviations include B and BA (boric acid). Natural dietary boron is derived mainly from plant foods, while experimental oncology literature most often studies boric acid or specialized boron carriers. The most defensible cancer relevance is preclinical for oral/systemic boric acid, whereas clinically validated boron use exists mainly in BNCT with borofalan (10B), which is a separate radiation-linked modality rather than ordinary nutritional boron supplementation. Primary mechanisms (ranked):
Bioavailability / PK relevance: Oral boric acid is very well absorbed, not metabolized, distributes largely with body water, and is cleared predominantly in urine; systemic boron exposure is therefore achievable, but renal function is a key determinant of safety. Bone can retain boron longer than soft tissues. For ordinary supplements, exposure is limited by tolerability and reproductive/developmental safety ceilings rather than by poor absorption. In-vitro vs systemic exposure relevance: Common mechanistic cell-culture studies often use ~0.1–1 mM for signaling effects and several mM for stronger oxidative/apoptotic effects; normal human plasma boron is usually only ~10–20 µM. Thus, many direct anticancer in-vitro effects likely require exposures above usual nutritional/systemic levels achievable with standard oral supplementation. BNCT is different because efficacy depends on selective tumor boron delivery plus neutron irradiation, not on free systemic boron concentration alone. Clinical evidence status: Oral/systemic boron or boric acid as an anticancer agent remains preclinical, with observational nutrition data only and no established cancer-treatment trials supporting routine use. In contrast, boron neutron capture therapy is a clinically deployed adjunct/local treatment platform in Japan for selected unresectable locally advanced or locally recurrent head and neck cancers when delivered with borofalan (10B) and dedicated neutron-irradiation systems. Mechanistic matrix: Boron Pathways for Cancer vs Normal cells
P: 0–30 min R: 30 min–3 hr G: >3 hr Distinct from compounds of main Redox Driver | Compound | ROS ↑ mechanism | Category | | ------------------- | --------------------------- | ------------------- | | PEITC | Direct electrophilic stress | Redox driver | | Selenium (selenite) | Redox cycling | Redox driver | | Thymoquinone | Quinone cycling | Redox driver | | **Boron** | Metabolic redox imbalance | **Secondary redox** | |
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| Risk: by definition reduces risk of disease or cancer. Down Target direction of risk indicates lower cancer risk. ChemoPreventive also mean lower cancer risk. But for Chemopreventive an up arrow indicates more preventive.
Cancer Risk Impact Score (CRIS)
CRIS scale:
–5 = very strong risk reduction
–4 = strong risk reduction
–3 = moderate risk reduction
–2 = modest risk reduction
–1 = weak / context-dependent
0 = neutral
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| 3512- | Bor, | Activation of the EIF2α/ATF4 and ATF6 Pathways in DU-145 Cells by Boric Acid at the Concentration Reported in Men at the US Mean Boron Intake |
| - | in-vitro, | Pca, | DU145 |
| 754- | Bor, | HRT, | Dietary Boron and Hormone Replacement Therapy as Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in Women |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 4625- | Bor, | Boron and Inflammation |
| - | Review, | Arthritis, | NA | - | Review, | ostP, | NA |
| 4621- | Bor, | Boron |
| - | Review, | BPH, | NA |
| 4620- | Bor, | BTZ, | Boron Compounds in the Breast Cancer Cells Chemoprevention and Chemotherapy |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA | - | Review, | Arthritis, | NA | - | Review, | Pca, | NA |
| 4619- | Bor, | Using Boron Supplementation in Cancer Prevention and Treatment: A Review Article |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
| 3518- | Bor, | Boron Report |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA | - | Review, | AD, | NA |
| 714- | Bor, | Dietary Boron and Hormone Replacement Therapy as Risk Factors for Lung Cancer in Women |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 713- | Bor, | Effects of dietary boron on cervical cytopathology and on micronucleus frequency in exfoliated buccal cells |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 712- | Bor, | Boron concentrations in selected foods from borate-producing regions in Turkey |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 703- | Bor, | Boron intake and prostate cancer risk |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 702- | Bor, | GEN, | SeMet, | Rad, | Evaluation of ecological and in vitro effects of boron on prostate cancer risk (United States) |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 701- | Bor, | Dietary boron intake and prostate cancer risk |
| - | Analysis, | NA, | NA |
| 737- | Bor, | Boric Acid Activation of eIF2α and Nrf2 Is PERK Dependent: a Mechanism that Explains How Boron Prevents DNA Damage and Enhances Antioxidant Statu |
| - | in-vitro, | Pca, | DU145 |
| 747- | Bor, | Growing Evidence for Human Health Benefits of Boron |
| - | Review, | NA, | NA |
| 696- | Bor, | Nothing Boring About Boron |
| - | Review, | Var, | NA |
Query results interpretion may depend on "conditions" listed in the research papers. Such Conditions may include : -low or high Dose -format for product, such as nano of lipid formations -different cell line effects -synergies with other products -if effect was for normal or cancerous cells
Filter Conditions: Pro/AntiFlg:% IllCat:% CanType:% Cells:% prod#:46 Target#:785 State#:% Dir#:%
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