Michiko Miura Scientist Telephone:  (631) 344-3618 e-mail:  miura@bnl.gov

Research Interests

• Synthesis of porphyrins (containing boron and boron-free) and boron-containing small molecules.
• Study of the biological properties of compounds as radiosensitizers for X-ray radiation therapy [XRT] and boron neutron-capture therapy [BNCT].
• Study of microbeam radiosurgery [MBRS].
• We are primarily interested in developing new radiosensitizers for XRT and boron-carriers for BNCT. Various compounds, carboranyl porphyrins, in particular, are synthesized and then tested in tumor-bearing rodents to assess critical biological properties: Biodistribution, toxicity, and therapeutic efficacy. A couple of lead porphyrins have shown significant improvements in biodistribution with low toxicity. Tumor ablation has also been demonstrated in vivo using XRT or BNCT with low normal tissue damage. In addition, all new compounds have the potential to be imaged by PET, SPECT, and in some cases MRI. Research is also being carried out on new formulations of the lipophilic porphyrins and on the testing of chemotherapeutic agents in animal tumor models.

 Education & Concurrent Positions

• B.S. University of California, Riverside, 1978
• Ph.D. University of California, Davis, 1984
• Postdoctoral Fellow, Stanford Research Institute, 1984-1986
• Research Associate, Medical Department, BNL, 1987-1990
• Chemist Associate II, Department of Applied Sciences, BNL, 1991-1993
• Assistant Scientist, Medical Department, BNL, 1994-1996
• Associate Chemist, BNL, 1996-1999
• Scientist, BNL, 1999-present

Selected Publications

• Miura M., Morris G.W., Hopewell J.W., Micca P.L., Makar M.S., Nawrocky M.M., and Renner M.W.
  Enhancement of the radiation response of EMT-6 tumours by a copper octabromotetracarboranylphenylporphyrin.
  BRITISH JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY, 85:443-450 (2012).
• Smilowitz H.M., Slatkin D.N., Micca P.L., and Miura, M.
  Lipophilic porphyrins: biodistributions for boron neutron-capture therapy.
  JOURNAL OF PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES. (2011). Submitted.
• Miura M., Morris G.M., Smilowitz H.M., Riley K.J., Binns P.J., Nawrocky M., Makar M.S., Slatkin D.N., and Coderre J.A.
  Boron Neutron-Capture Therapy of a murine tumour using copper tetracarboranylphenylporphyrins as boron targeting agents.
  BRITISH JOURNAL OF RADIOLOGY, (2010). Submitted
• Wu H., Makar M.S., Micca P.L., and Miura M.
  Syntheses of monosaccharide-conjugated copper (II) tetracarboranylphenyl porphyrins for boron neutron of capture therapy and their biological properties in EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice.
  CONFERENCE: 236th ACS (American Chemical Society) National Meeting, Philadelphia, PA, August 17-21, 2008. ABSTRACTS OF PAPERS OF THE AMERICAN CHEMICAL SOCIETY. 2010; 236:MEDI-151.
• M. Miura, H. Blattman, E. Brauer-Krisch, A. Bravin, A.L. Hanson, M.M. Nawrocky, Micca P.M., D.N. Slatkin, and J.A. Laissue
  Radiosurgical palliation of aggressive murine SCCVII squamous cell carcinomas using synchrotron-generated X-ray microbeams.
  Br. J. Rad., 79(937):71-75 (2006). PubMed
• Renner M.W., Miura M., Easson M.W. and Vicente M.G.H.
  Recent progress in the syntheses and biological evaluation of boronated porphyrins for boron neutron-capture therapy.
  Anticancer Agents Med Chem., 6(2):145-157 (2006). PubMed
• Wu H., Micca P.L., Makar M.S., and Miura M.
  Total syntheses of three copper(II) tetracarboranylphenylporphyrins containing 40 or 80 boron atoms and their biological properties in EMT-6 tumor-bearing mice.
  Bioorg Med. Chem. 2006; 14(15):5083-5092. PubMed
• Miura M. , Morris G.M., Micca P.L., Nawrocky M.M., Makar M.S., Cook S.P., and Slatkin D.N.
  Copper octabromotetracarboranylphenylporphyrin: Synthesis and its toxicity, and biodistribution in tumour-bearing mice.
  Br. J. Rad., 77(919):573-580 (2004).
PubMed
• Kreimann E.L., Miura M., Itoiz M.E., Heber E., Garavaglia R.N., Batistoni D., Rebagliati R.J., Roberti M.J., Micca P.L., Coderre J.A. and Schwint A.E.
  Biodistribution of a carborane-containing porphyrin as a targeting agent for Boron Neutron Capture Therapy of oral cancer in the hamster cheek pouch.
  Arch. Oral Biol, 48:223-232 (2003).
• Miura M., Morris G.M., Micca P.L., Lombardo D.T., Youngs K.M., Kalef-Ezra J.A., Hoch D.A., Slatkin D.N., Ma R. and Coderre J.A.
  Boron neutron-capture therapy of a murine mammary carcinoma using a lipophilic carboranyltetraphenylporphyrin.
  Radiat. Res., 2001;155(4):603-610. PubMed
• Miura M., Micca P.L., Fischer C.D., Gordon C.R., Heinrichs J.C. and Slatkin D.N.
  Evaluation of carborane-containing porphyrins as a tumor-targeting agents for boron neutron-capture therapy.
  Br. J. Radiol., 71(847):773-781 (1998). PubMed

Last Modified: April 10, 2012
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