Boronophenylalanine B-10 (also known as BPA), a boron delivery agent, is used in boron-neutron capture therapy (BNCT) for metastatic melanomas and other tumors. BNCT is a therapeutic modality for malignant tumors using the nuclear capture and fission reactions that occur when boron-10 (10B) is irradiated with neutron beams. This reaction, in theory, only kills 10B-containing cells because the destructive effect of the alpha particles and lithium nuclei, which are produced by the reaction, is limited to the immediate vicinity of the reaction, approximately one cell diameter. Boronophenylalanine is localized to cells through transporter-mediated mechanisms. Aromatic amino acid transporters, ATB0,+, as well as LAT1 contribute significantly to the tumor accumulation of BPA at clinical dose.

Oxaloacetate (OAA), a salt of oxaloacetic acid, is a metabolic intermediate in many processes, e.g., urea cycle, gluconeogenesis, etc. that occur in animals. Experiments on animal have revealed that OAA was able to protect hepatocytes from hypoxia and liver ischemia/reperfusion injury. OAA also possesses a neuroprotective effect against ischemic injury, which strengthens the likelihood of its future applicability as a novel neuroprotective agent for the treatment of ischemic stroke patients. In addition, experiments on adipose stromal cells have shown that OAA directly protected cerebellar granule neurons from apoptosis induced by serum and potassium deprivation.