Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) for Detection and Therapy Monitoring of Synovitis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

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Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is the most common chronic inflammatory joint disease, affecting approximately 1 to 2 % of the population in Europe and North America and resulting in high health care expenses. Early diagnosis of the disease as well as improved therapy monitoring are essential for an effective medical treatment. Diagnosis is typically made using clinical criteria with imaging playing only a secondary role, as findings on X-rays are limited in the early course of the disease. A sensitive detection of inflamed joints is therefore essential for the evaluation of the extent of the disease and for monitoring response to therapy. Contrast enhanced Multispectral Optoacoustic Tomography (MSOT) is a novel technology for high-resolution, tomographic molecular imaging deep inside tissues. This technique is a non-invasive and non-ionizing imaging modality which may allow the detection of arthritis with image acquisition times of a few seconds. In this project, we will implement, evaluate and optimize MSOT for detection and therapy monitoring of rheumatoid arthritis. The imaging technique will be established in experimental animal studies, then we want to test MSOT in a clinical pilot for detection of synovitis in the hands of patients with rheumatoid arthritis.