Modelling Transport Phenomena of Nanoparticles in Drug Delivery Therapy

小于100纳米的小颗粒正在带来革命性的技术变革。一纳米是十亿分之一米，或大约是人类头发厚度的十万分之一。这种被称为纳米颗粒的颗粒在许多领域如能源、环境工程和药物治疗中得到应用。正是在后者中，本研究找到了它的动机和它的主要预期应用之一。 已知现有的癌症治疗如化疗和放疗由于其非特异性而引起负面副作用，其中健康细胞在破坏癌细胞的过程中受损。基于纳米粒子的新技术正在开发中，注射的纳米粒子一旦到达肿瘤，就会穿过血液执行其治疗使命。该使命可以是输送治疗药物或释放热量。后一种技术被称为热疗法，它利用了癌细胞比健康细胞对热更敏感的事实。工程纳米颗粒同样用于执行降解或转化污染物的任务，以达到水或土壤修复的目的。无论应用如何，这些技术的成功取决于纳米颗粒到达目的地时的传播和分布方式。由于许多因素，目前对纳米颗粒命运的控制有限，了解这些因素对颗粒旅程的影响以及它们的效率至关重要。在许多已知的因素中，颗粒尺寸已被确定为最重要的因素之一。 现有的相关研究假设所有颗粒具有相同的尺寸。此外，这些研究没有解释一些机制，包括特殊的热效应，例如在热疗中遇到的。因此，我们目前还不知道这些方面实际上如何影响粒子的传输和分布。本研究将通过考虑各种尺寸的颗粒和考虑传热的作用，密切关注这些方面及其对颗粒旅程的影响。该分析将检查纳米颗粒通过几何形状（如小管或血管）的流动，它们与其他颗粒以及管壁的相互作用，以及它们在多孔结构（如肿瘤）中的渗透和分布。为了实现这一目标，将开发物理模型来捕捉粒子旅程中的主要动力学。将使用基于新开发的数值算法的先进模拟技术来求解模型方程。该研究将有助于开发新的设计和技术，以实现最佳和有效的纳米颗粒输送，主要应用于药物输送，但也用于土壤净化和石油回收。这将转化为对加拿大人的健康和福祉的好处，并增加社会和经济价值。

Small particles of size less than 100 nanometer are bringing revolutionary technological changes. A nanometer is one billionth of a meter or about a hundred-thousandth the thickness of a human hair. Such particles referred to as nanoparticles, are finding applications in many fields such as energy, environmental engineering and drug therapy. It is in the latter that this research finds its motivation and one of its main intended applications. Existing cancer treatments such as chemotherapy and radiation are known to induce negative side effects due to their non-specificity where healthy cells are damaged in the process of destroying cancerous ones. New techniques based on nanoparticles are being developed, where the injected nanoparticles travel through the blood to carry out their therapeutic mission once they reach the tumor. The mission may be the delivery of a therapeutic drug or the release of heat. This latter technique, known as thermotherapy, uses the fact that cancer cells are more sensitive to heat than healthy ones. Engineered nanoparticles are similarly used to carry missions of degrading or transforming contaminants for the purpose of water or soil remediation. Regardless of the application, the success of the techniques depends on how the nanoparticles travel and distribute when they reach their destination. Due to many factors, there is currently limited control on the nanoparticles fate and it is critical to develop an understanding of the effects of these factors on the particles journey, and in turn their efficiency. Out of the many known factors, the particles size has been identified as one of the most important. Existing relevant studies assume that all particles have the same size. In addition, these studies do not account for a number of mechanisms including special heat effects, as for example encountered in thermotherapy. As a result, we do not currently know how these aspects actually affect the particles transport and distribution. This research will look closely at these aspects and their effects on the particles journey by considering particles with a wide range of sizes and by factoring the role of heat transfer. The analysis will examine flows of nanoparticles through geometries such as small pipes or blood vessels, their interactions with other particles as well as pipe walls, and their penetration and distribution in porous structures, such as a tumor. To achieve this, physical models will be developed to capture the main dynamics in the particles journey. The model equations will be solved using advanced simulations techniques based on newly developed numerical algorithms. The research will contribute to the development of new designs and techniques to achieve optimal and efficient nanoparticles delivery with applications primarily in drug delivery but also in soil decontamination and oil recovery. This will translate into benefit to the health and well-being of Canadians and added societal and economic value.