title: A mathematical model for drug administration by using the phagocytosis of red blood cells.
abstract: A mathematical model for the delivery of drug directly to the macrophages by using the phagocytosis of senescent red blood cells is proposed. The model is based on the following assumption: At time t = 0 a preassigned red blood cell population n(0,a) = phi (a), a > 0, loaded by the drug, is injected in the blood circulation. Among the cells of that population only those with an age a > or = a (a = 120 days) will be phagocytosed by macrophages. Of course, the lifetime of the drug must be higher than a. Within the red blood cells it cannot be metabolized, neither can it diffuse through their membranes. The emphasis of the paper is on the mathematical properties and on the formulation of the control problem.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Biomatematica, Universita di Urbino, Italy.
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Beretta
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Solimano
authors.forename: Y
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Takeuchi
mesh_terms: D004358:Drug Therapy / Q000379:methods*; D004905:Erythrocyte Aging; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008264:Macrophages; D008962:Models, Theoretical; D010587:Phagocytosis; D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations / Q000008:administration & dosage*; D010599:Pharmacokinetics
chemical_list: D004364:Pharmaceutical Preparations