Computational modeling of drug delivery by microvascular networks

摘要

We have previously developed general computational models for studying blood flow and oxygen transport in complex microvascular networks. Here we describe how these models can be used to study delivery of other chemical species such as therapeutic drugs. We first describe our model of microvascular blood flow and a three-dimensional, time-dependent transport model applicable when the species of interest is carried mainly in dissolved form in the blood and the systemic concentration is fixed. We then present results of numerical simulations of blood flow in a constructed three-dimensional capillary network. Finally, we perform simulations of mass transport in the network and present results indicating the spatial heterogeneity of the concentration in the tissue.