Solute dispersion of drug carrier during magnetic drug targeting for a blood flow through a microvessel

A model on magnetic drug targeting is developed to determine the capture conditions on the efficient dispersion of drug-coated nanoparticles in a tumor environment. These particles consist of a non-magnetic core material containing embedded magnetic nanoparticles and a therapeutic agent (such as a photodynamic sensitizer). In the present problem, we have studied the solute dispersion during magnetic drug targeting through a microvessel. The particles are injected into the microvascular system upstream of the cancerous tissue and captured in the tumor using an applied magnetic field. The fluid velocity and the particle velocity due to the magnetic field are calculated analytically, while the solute transport equation is solved numerically by using the finite difference method. The fluid force is assumed on the capillary and the carrier undergoing magnetic force due to an external magnetic field. Solving the equations of fluid flow and solute transport simultaneously, the influence of the model biological parameters, such as volume fraction of the nanoparticles, magnetization, magnet-tumor distance, permeability of the capillaries, Peclet number, drug elimination, source term, and radius of the nanoparticle in the dispersion of drug-coated nanoparticles in microvessels, is also discussed. The results show that higher values of volume fraction of the magnetic particles, magnetization of the magnet, drug elimination, and source term associated with longer times are taken by drug-coated magnetic nanoparticles to reach the tumor position. Moreover, an increase in the tumor-magnet distance, permeability of the microvessel, Peclet number, and radius of the nanoparticle slows the rate at which the drug-coated magnetic nanoparticles reach the tumor position.