Cluster 2

C2: MC-based Modelling, Analysis, and Design of Magnetic Steering Systems for SPIONs

Since the analytical tools and modelling techniques developed for MC are well suited for the design of targeted drug delivery systems, targeted drug delivery is viewed as one of the main application areas of MC, where cancer treatment has been an area of particular focus. Related MC work includes the analytical modelling of drug molecule transport in blood vessels and across the blood-brain barrier as well as cell membranes, design of leader-follower concepts to transport drug molecules to diseased sites, modelling of drug molecule release from nanoparticles, and experimental results for nanoparticle transport using simple tubes as blood vessel models. One particularly attractive option for targeted drug delivery are functionalized superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIONs) loaded with drug molecules. Our preliminary studies have shown that their magnetic properties allow the steering of SPIONs in branched channel systems and drug deposition in a specific region. However, existing SPION steering concepts are based on heuristics and tailored for simplified setups. They do not generalize to the highly branched vascular and tissue structures of tumors. To overcome these limitations, in C2, we leverage MC concepts for the design of SPION steering systems for highly branched vascular and tissue structures. Thereby, the SPION injection system, the target area for drug deposition, and the vascular and tissue structure are modelled as MC transmitter, receiver, and channel, respectively. The drug molecules embedded in the coating of the SPIONs can be interpreted as information carriers, which trigger a reaction in the tumor cells. In P4–P6, we respectively analyze forces, limitations, and concepts, derive models and algorithms, and develop physical models (mock-ups) for tumors and the surrounding vessel system for SPION steering in the range of mm to several cm. The physical models will serve as MC channel models for the design and experimental evaluation of the investigated SPION steering systems.