Mathematical Modelling of Convection Enhanced Delivery of Carmustine and Paclitaxel for Brain Tumour Therapy.
Convection enhanced delivery (CED) is a promising method of anticancer treatment to bypass the blood-brain barrier. This paper is aimed to study drug transport under different CED operating conditions.



The convection enhanced delivery of chemotherapeutics to an intact and a remnant brain tumour after resection is investigated by means of mathematical modelling of the key physical and physiological processes of drug transport. Realistic models of brain tumour and its holding tissue are reconstructed from magnetic resonance images. Mathematical modelling is performed for the delivery of carmustine and paclitaxel with different infusion rates, solution concentrations and locations of infusion site.



Modelling predications show that drug penetration can be improved by raising the infusion rate and the infusion solution concentration. The delivery of carmustine with CED is highly localised. High drug concentration only can be achieved around the infusion site. The transport of paclitaxel is more sensitive to CED-enhanced interstitial fluid as compared to carmustine, with deeper penetration into tumour interior. Infusing paclitaxel in the upstream of interstitial fluid flow leads to high spatial averaged concentration and relatively uniform distribution.



Results obtained in this study can be used to guide the design and optimisation of CED treatment regimens.
NUS Environmental Research Institute, National University of Singapore, 1 Create Way, Create Tower #15-02, Singapore, Singapore, 138602.
Wenbo
W
Zhan
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore, 117585.
Davis Yohanes
DY
Arifin
The Brain & Spine Clinic, Gleneagles Hospital, Annex Block #03-38, Singapore, Singapore, 258500.
Timothy Ky
TK
Lee
Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, National University of Singapore, 4 Engineering Drive 4, Singapore, Singapore, 117585. chewch@nus.edu.sg.
Chi-Hwa
0000-0002-1040-2121
CH
Wang
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents / Q000378:metabolism*; D001812:Blood-Brain Barrier / Q000378:metabolism; D001921:Brain / Q000378:metabolism*; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000378:metabolism; D002330:Carmustine / Q000378:metabolism*; D004058:Diffusion; D016503:Drug Delivery Systems; D065546:Drug Liberation; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D017239:Paclitaxel / Q000378:metabolism*
D000970:Antineoplastic Agents; D017239:Paclitaxel; D002330:Carmustine
anticancer therapy; brain tumour; convection enhanced delivery; drug transport; mathematical model