Quantifying biological heterogeneity in nano-engineered particle-cell interaction experiments

Nano-engineered particles are a promising tool for medical diagnostics, biomedical imaging and targeted drug delivery. Fundamental to the assessment of particle performance are in vitro particle-cell interaction experiments. These experiments can be summarized with key parameters that facilitate objective comparisons across various cell and particle pairs, such as the particle-cell association rate. Previous studies often focus on point estimates of such parameters and neglect heterogeneity in routine measurements. In this study, we develop an ordinary differential equation-based mechanistic mathematical model that incorporates and exploits the heterogeneity in routine measurements. Connecting this model to data using approximate Bayesian computation parameter inference and prediction tools, we reveal the significant role of heterogeneity in parameters that characterize particle-cell interactions. We then generate predictions for key quantities, such as the time evolution of the number of particles per cell. Finally, by systematically exploring how the choice of experimental time points influences estimates of key quantities, we identify optimal experimental time points that maximize the information that is gained from particle-cell interaction experiments.