Low dose radiation therapy (LD-RT) is effective in the treatment of arthritis: Animal model findings

Purpose: This paper provides a critical assessment of the hypothesis that low doses of ionizing radiation may be potentially effective in the treatment of inflammatory conditions, with particular focus on arthritis. Materials and methods: A critical review of the biomedical literature was undertaken to assess whether low doses of ionizing radiation may affect the progression of experimentally-induced arthritis using multiple animal models. Results: The findings indicate that low doses of ionizing radiation were effective in alleviating the occurrence of clinical symptoms of arthritis in five complementary experimental models of arthritis. Conclusions: Consistent findings by multiple research groups indicate that low doses of ionizing radiation can be highly effective in reducing a broad range of arthritic changes in multiple animal models in a manner quantitatively similar to that of well known pharmaceutical agents.