Preclinical trial of radiation synovectomy with Ho-166

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of joints with proliferation of synovial epithelial tissue. Therapeutic approach of the RA consists of pharmacological and surgical interventions. Synovectomy is indicated in patients with progressive inflammatory signs and symptoms intractable to medical treatment including local intracavitary steroid injection. Recently, local injection of radionuclides which emit high energy beta rays are labeled with chemical compounds such as 90Y, 165Dy-ferric hydroxide macroaggregate and have been introduced as an alternative therapeutic modality to surgical synovectomy. Holmium-166 is one of beta emitter and Ho-166-chitosan complex was developed for radiation synovectomy. Preclinical trial is on-going at our hospital using Ho-166-chitosan. The procedure and methods of preclinical trial are discussed