Data from: A computational study of cancer hyperthermia based on vascular magnetic nanoconstructs

The application of hyperthermia to cancer treatment is studied using a novel model arising from the fundamental principles of flow, mass and heat transport in biological tissues. The model is defined at the scale of the tumor microenvironment and an advanced computational scheme called the embedded multiscale method is adopted to solve the governing equations. More precisely, this approach involves modeling capillaries as one-dimensional channels carrying flow and special mathematical operators are used to model their interaction with the surrounding tissue. The proposed computational scheme is used to analyze hyperthermic treatment of cancer based on systemically injected vascular magnetic nanoconstructs carrying super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. An alternating magnetic field is utilized to excite the nanoconstructs and generate localized heat within the tissue. The proposed model is particularly adequate for this application, since it has a unique capability of incorporating microvasculature configurations based on physiological data combined with coupled capillary flow, interstitial filtration and heat transfer. A virtual tumor model is initialized and the spatio-temporal distribution of nanoconstructs in the vascular network is analyzed. In particular, for a reference iron oxide concentration, temperature maps of several different hypothesized treatments are generated in the virtual tumor model. The observations of the current study might in future guide the design of more efficient treatments for cancer hyperthermia.本研究依托生物组织内流动、传质与传热的基本原理，构建新型模型，以探究热疗（hyperthermia）在癌症治疗中的应用。该模型以肿瘤微环境为尺度构建，并采用名为嵌入式多尺度方法（embedded multiscale method）的先进计算格式求解控制方程。更具体而言，该方法将毛细血管建模为输送流体的一维通道，并通过特殊数学算子刻画其与周围组织的相互作用。本研究采用所提出的计算格式，针对经系统给药的携带超顺磁性氧化铁纳米颗粒（super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles）的血管磁性纳米构建体（vascular magnetic nanoconstructs），分析其癌症热疗效果。通过交变磁场激发该纳米构建体，在组织内产生局部热效应。所提出的模型尤其适配该应用场景，因其可基于生理数据整合微血管构型，并耦合毛细血管流动、组织间隙滤过与传热过程，具备独特优势。本研究初始化了虚拟肿瘤模型，并分析了纳米构建体在血管网络内的时空分布特征。具体而言，以参考氧化铁浓度为基准，本研究在虚拟肿瘤模型中生成了多种不同假设治疗方案对应的温度场分布。本研究的观测结果未来或可指导更高效的癌症热疗方案设计。