Particles of liquid-crystalline dispersions formed by (nucleic acid-rare earth element) complexes as a potential platform for neutron capture therapy

Microscopic size particles of the cholesteric double-stranded DNA (RNA) liquid-crystalline dispersions, containing the ions of the rare earth elements in their content, have been obtained for the first time. The properties of these particles differ from those of classical DNA cholesterics noticeably. The local concentration of the rare earth elements in a particle reaches 200 mg/ml. The particles of the liquid-crystalline dispersion of the (DNA-gadolinium) complex maintain the properties for a long time. The combination of the microscopic size of particles, high concentration of gadolinium in particles and their stability opens a way to practical application of this new biomaterial.