Understanding nanoparticle flow with a new in vitro experimental and computational approach using hydrogel channels

Area of Science:

• Biomedical Engineering
• Fluid Dynamics
• Nanotechnology

Background:

• Nanoparticles (NPs) show great promise as drug delivery vehicles, but their clinical efficiency is limited by poor understanding of their transport dynamics within the body.
• Existing experimental tools struggle to accurately mimic complex physiological environments for preclinical assessment of NP behavior.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop and validate a novel in vitro approach using coupled experimental and computational fluid dynamics (CFD) methods.
• To predict the flow velocity and binding of nanoparticle drug delivery systems during transport through vasculature.
• To gain mechanistic insights into nanoparticle flow for enhanced preclinical evaluation.

Main Methods:

• Utilized poly(hydroxyethyl)methacrylate hydrogels to create soft cylindrical constructs simulating vascular sections.
• Synthesized and employed iron oxide nanoparticles (NPs) within these constructs for transport experiments.
• Measured NP flow velocity across various mass concentrations and employed CFD modeling for simultaneous prediction.

Main Results:

• Identified Brownian dynamics and flow channel material as critical factors influencing NP flow.
• Observed diffusion-dominated flow at higher NP concentrations and fluid/Brownian dynamics-controlled flow at lower concentrations.
• CFD model predictions for NP mass loss closely matched experimental results, validating the in vitro technique.

Conclusions:

• The developed coupled experimental and CFD approach provides reliable mechanistic insights into NP flow within vasculature.
• This novel in vitro technique offers a valuable tool for preclinical assessment of nanoparticle drug delivery systems.
• Understanding NP transport dynamics is essential for improving the clinical efficacy of nanomedicine.