Virtual pharmacokinetic model of human eye.
A virtual pharmacokinetic 3D model of the human eye is built using Comsol Multiphysics® software, which is based on the Finite Element Method (FEM). The model considers drug release from a polymer patch placed on sclera. The model concentrates on the posterior part of the eye, retina being the target tissue, and comprises the choroidal blood flow, partitioning of the drug between different tissues and active transport at the retina pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid boundary. Although most straightforward, in order to check the mass balance, no protein binding or metabolism is yet included. It appeared that the most important issue in obtaining reliable simulation results is the finite element mesh, while time stepping has hardly any significance. Simulations were extended to 100,000 s. The concentration of a drug is shown as a function of time at various points of retina, as well as its average value, varying several parameters in the model. This work demonstrates how anybody with basic knowledge of calculus is able to build physically meaningful models of quite complex biological systems.
University of Helsinki, Faculty of Pharmacy, Centre for Drug Research, PO Box 56, 00014 Helsinki, Finland.
Sreevani
S
Kotha
Aalto University, School of Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, PO Box 16100, 00076 Aalto, Finland. Electronic address: lasse.murtomaki@aalto.fi.
Lasse
L
Murtomäki
D003198:Computer Simulation; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D005123:Eye / Q000033:anatomy & histology / Q000187:drug effects / Q000378:metabolism*; D005128:Eye Diseases / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000378:metabolism; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008953:Models, Anatomic; D008954:Models, Biological; D012984:Software; D014584:User-Computer Interface
Comsol; Finite Element Method; Human eye; Retina; Simulation