Investigating the impact of sickle cell disease on red blood cell transport in complex capillary networks

Sickle cell disease encompasses a variety of inherited red blood cell (RBC) disorders characterized by abnormal thrombosis, microvascular occlusion, end-organ ischemia, and early mortality. Understanding how sickle RBCs drive abnormal blood flow and stress on the endothelial wall is essential to predict and prevent blockages in blood circulation. While there are studies comparing blood flow velocity and pressure via computational fluid dynamics simulations, there are still open questions about how sickle cells interact with plasma in a complex capillary network. In order to quantify the hemodynamic differences between normal and sickle cells, we introduced a sickle cell RBC model to massively parallel fluid-structure interaction software HARVEY. Notably, sickle RBCs exhibit increased margination, aggregation at the inner curvature, slower fluid velocity, higher pressure, and greater wall shear stress at standard hematocrit levels. This computational model facilitates detailed cellular modeling for hemodynamic simulations in complex capillary networks, offering predictive insight into blockage and potential vessel ruptures in patients with sickle cell disease.