Researchers from eleven different
institutions have identified specific areas of biology and medicine in which
mechanics could make significant contributions in a new Perspective article. Three areas were analysed: nanoparticle-based
drug delivery, medical devices, and cell mechanics.
Nanoparticle –based drug delivery is one
area ripe with opportunitiy. In
particular, modelling of the drug delivery process would reduce the need for physical experiments and
expedite nanoparticle design for improved delivery. Integrating computational modelling into the
rational design of nanoparticles offers the opportunity to improve nanoparticle
performance during, for example, vascular transport and endocytosis.
Modeling also has a role to play in improving
a variety of medical devices. For
example, recent developments in “organ-on-chip” devices require understanding
of complex transport behaviours through channels, gels and complex
tissues. In another area, advances in
ventricular assist devices could greatly benefit from computational mechanics
simulations to optimise design and hopefully mitigate problems such as thrombus
formation.
Finally, in the section entitled “cell mechanics”,
the authors identified a critical need for better
constitutive models for single-cell mechanical behaviour, taking into account
the active behaviour of cells. The
mechanics community could also contribute to the development of integrated
tools for single cell studies exploring biological variability.
This is just a brief summary of issues that particularly
resonated with me. If you’re interested
in the topic, I recommend you go to the full article. This is a long paper, and so my “Bites” length
rules are waived for this one.
USNCTAM perspectives on mechanics in
medicine; G. Bao et al, J. R. Soc. Interface 2014 11, 20140301
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