Modeling magnetically targeted drug delivery

Magnetically targeted drug delivery enables focused therapy, directing medications to the specific locations where they are need with the help of magnetic fields and magnetic nanoparticles. This method could be especially useful for distributing drugs in complex environments.

Gandhi et al. built a comprehensive model to assess the behavior of biocompatible, Fe₃O₄-based nanoparticles when treating congested bifurcated arteries.

“Magnetically targeted drug delivery is an advanced technique that involves loading medicinal molecules with magnetic nanoparticles,” said author Bhupendra Kumar Sharma. “This technique guarantees the accurate delivery of therapeutic medication for blocked arteries, particularly those with intricate designs like bifurcations. Direct targeting may enhance the therapeutic efficacy at the site of the blockage, lowering the required dosage and decreasing the risk of systemic side effects.”

Representing blood as a Casson fluid, the authors examined its temperature dependence and electromagnetohydrodynamics as well as effects from body acceleration, heating from current flow, and heating from effects of viscosity. They identified a relationship between nanoparticle concentration and flow velocity.

The team says their entropy analysis can help develop more efficient drug delivery.

“An important finding of the study emphasizes the importance of thermodynamic considerations during drug delivery by minimizing entropy,” Sharma said. “Minimizing entropy generation can improve the effectiveness and safety of medical treatments and operations. This approach adds a multidisciplinary dimension to the research by integrating medical science, fluid dynamics, and thermodynamics in a coordinated manner.”

In the future, the authors hope to build on their previous work by optimizing nanoparticle concentrations, magnetic field strengths, and different configurations for maximizing therapeutic efficacy.

Source: “Electromagnetohydrodynamics casson pulsatile nanofluid flow through a bifurcated stenosed artery: Magnetically targeted drug delivery,” by Rishu Gandhi, Bhupendra Kumar Sharma, and Umesh Khanduri, Journal of Applied Physics (2023). The article can be accessed at https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0172553 .

This paper is part of the Recent Advances in Fluid Mechanics and Nanoelectronics: Memorializing ICRAFMN-2023 Collection, learn more here .