Researchers Mario de Lucio, Pavlos P. Vlachos, and Hector Gomez from the University of Minnesota have published a study in the Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences that explores the effects of electric charge on the dynamics of drug transport and absorption in subcutaneous injections. Their work focuses on monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), which are increasingly used in biotherapeutic treatments.
The team developed a novel mathematical and computational model based on the Nernst-Planck equations and porous media flow theory. This model allows them to investigate the complex interactions between mAbs and charged species within subcutaneous tissue. By simulating these interactions, the researchers can study both short-term transport dynamics and long-term binding and absorption for two mAbs with different electric properties.
The study examines several factors that influence drug distribution, including buffer pH, body mass index, injection depth, and formulation concentration. The researchers compared their numerical results with experimental data from existing literature, validating their model’s accuracy and reliability.
For the energy industry, this research highlights the importance of understanding the electrical properties of substances in various applications. For instance, in the development of energy storage systems or in the design of biofuel cells, the transport and absorption of charged species play a crucial role. The computational model developed in this study could be adapted to explore similar dynamics in energy-related contexts, potentially leading to more efficient and effective energy technologies.
In summary, this research provides valuable insights into the behavior of charged biotherapeutics in subcutaneous tissue, which could have broader implications for the energy sector. By understanding these dynamics, researchers and engineers can develop more advanced and efficient technologies that leverage the properties of charged species.
Source: Journal of Pharmaceutical Sciences
This article is based on research available at arXiv.