Preparation of Chitosan microspheres containing 166Dy/166Ho in vivo generators and their theranostic potential

Chitosan microsphere (MS) loaded with Dy-166/Ho-166 were designed for therapy of unresectable liver tumor through an in vivo generator system. The mean size of the MS was affected by the stirring rate, concentration of emulsifier and cross-linking agent. The MS have ability to absorb water and ethanol to swell to eightfold their original volume. Importantly, approximately 53.89% +/- 2.44 of Dy-166 was absorbed into the MS to release in human serum about 8% of the absorbed amount. The advantages of high absorption and low release rate show these MS promising as a potential carrier of an in vivo generator system.