Eur. Phys. J. E (2018) 41: 20
https://doi.org/10.1140/epje/i2018-11626-7

Regular Article

Computer simulations of drug release from a liposome into the bloodstream

¹ Biomechanics and Bioengineering Laboratory (UMR 7338), CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, 60200, Compiègne, France
² Labex MS2T “Control of Technological Systems-of-Systems”, CNRS, Sorbonne Universités, Université de Technologie de Compiègne, 60200, Compiègne, France

^* e-mail: badr.kaoui@utc.fr

Received: 29 September 2017
Accepted: 18 January 2018
Published online: 8 February 2018

Abstract

I propose two-dimensional simulations of drug release from a liposome into the bloodstream. I perform the fluid-structure coupling, between the particles deformation (the liposome and the red blood cells) and the plasma flow, using the immersed boundary method. I compute both the flow and the drug mass transport using the lattice Boltzmann method. The simulations allow computing the instantaneous amount of the released drug, its distribution and its accumulation in the blood vessel wall. These quantities are sensitive to multiple factors and parameters. Here, I briefly explore the impact of having surrounding red blood cells, which are found to enhance slightly the drug release at large Schmidt numbers. In the limit of extremely large permeability of the particles, the drug transport is mainly affected by the complex flow induced by the interplay between the applied flow and the collective motion of the particles.