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 tumour microenvironment and an advanced computational scheme called the embedded multiscale method is adopted to solve the governing equations. More precisely, this approach involves modelling 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 analyse hyperthermic treatment of cancer based on systemically injected vascular magnetic nanoconstructs carrying super-paramagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles. An alternating magnetic field is used 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 tumour model is initialized and the spatio-temporal distribution of nanoconstructs in the vascular network is analysed. In particular, for a reference iron oxide concentration, temperature maps of several different hypothesized treatments are generated in the virtual tumour 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、传质及传热的基本原理，构建全新模型，探究热疗（hyperthermia）在癌症治疗中的应用。该模型的建模尺度为肿瘤微环境（tumour microenvironment），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。具体而言，该方法将微血管（capillaries）建模为带流动的一维通道，并通过专属数学算子模拟微血管与周围组织的相互作用。本研究提出的计算格式，用于分析基于经全身注射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的癌症热疗方案。研究通过交变磁场激发该纳米构建体，从而在组织内产生局部热效应。本模型尤其适配该应用场景，因其具备独特优势：可结合生理数据构建微血管网络构型，并耦合微血管流动、组织间隙滤过与传热过程。本研究初始化虚拟肿瘤模型，并分析血管网络内纳米构建体的时空分布特征。具体而言，在参考氧化铁浓度条件下，本研究于虚拟肿瘤模型中生成多种不同预设治疗方案对应的温度分布图。本研究的观测结果有望在未来为更高效的癌症热疗方案设计提供指导。