Background There has been no recent progress in the intra-articular treatment of joint inflammation. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) synovium hyperplasia is sustained by the secretion of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-17/TNF-α), synergistically contributing to chronicity. Since inflammation up-regulates trans-membrane Zinc (Zn) importers, the effects of its binding-competitor Cadmium (Cd) were tested on synoviocytes, synovium explants and in a rat arthritis model in order to reduce hyperplasia and inflammation. Materials and methods After exposure to IL-17/TNF-α and Cd, Cd-kinetics and Cd-cell content were measured by ICP-MS, while Zn/Cd-transporter gene expression (Zrt-Irt-like protein-8, ZIP-8, importer and metallothioneins-1, MT-1, metal homeo...