Single Input Multi Output Model of Molecular Communication via Diffusion with Spheroidal Receivers

TL;DR

This paper models molecular communication in biological tissues using spheroids as porous media to simulate molecule propagation, providing insights into transport and drug delivery in crowded cellular environments.

Contribution

It introduces a novel single input multi-output model incorporating spheroidal cell aggregates as porous media with effective diffusion, including molecule uptake effects.

Findings

Higher spheroid porosity increases molecule diffusion.

Molecule uptake by spheroids affects propagation dynamics.

Modeling spheroids aids in understanding drug delivery in tissues.

Abstract

Spheroids are aggregates of cells that can mimic the cellular organization often found in tissues. They are typically formed through the self-assembly of cells in a culture where there is a promotion of interactions and cell-to-cell communication. Spheroids can be created from various cell types, including cancer cells, stem cells, and primary cells, and they serve as valuable tools in biological research. In this letter, molecule propagation from a point source is simulated in the presence of multiple spheroids to observe the impact of the spheroids on the spatial molecule distribution. The spheroids are modeled as porous media with a corresponding effective diffusion coefficient. System variations are considered with a higher spheroid porosity (i.e., with a higher effective diffusion coefficient) and with molecule uptake by the spheroid cells (approximated as a first-order degradation reaction while molecules diffuse within the spheroid). Results provide initial insights about the molecule propagation dynamics and their potential to model transport and drug delivery within crowded spheroid systems.