A Hybrid Model for Nanoparticle Targeted Delivery in Blood Flow

Nanoparticle targeted delivery in vascular system involves the interplay of transport, hydrodynamic force, and multivalent interactions with targeted biosurfaces. Current theoretical studies in nanoparticle therapeutic delivery are limited to nanoparticle suspensions in a Newtonian fluid without blood cells [1–3]. However, blood is a complex biological fluid made of components such as red blood cells (RBC), monocytes, platelets, proteins, etc. The existence of blood cells in the core region of blood streams might change the nanoparticle dispersion and binding through cell-nanoparticle interaction. It is thus important to understand how blood cells influence nanoparticles motion and binding.