In vivo19F MR imaging and spectroscopy for the BNCT optimization

The aim of this study was to evaluate in vivo the boron biodistribution and pharmacokinetics of 4-borono-2-fluorophenylalanine (19F-BPA) using 19F MR Imaging (19F MRI) and Spectroscopy (19F MRS). The correlation between the results obtained by both techniques, 19F MRI on rat brain and 19F MRS on blood samples, showed the maximum 19F-BPA uptake in C6 glioma model at 2.5 h after infusion determining the optimal irradiation time. Moreover, the effect of L-DOPA as potential enhancer of 19F-BPA tumour intake was assessed using 19F MRI.