Particles in coronary circulation: A review on modelling for drug carrier design

Abstract

Atherosclerotic plaques and thrombosis are chronic inflammatory complications and the main manifestations of cardiovascular diseases (CVD), the leading cause of death globally. Achieving non/minimal-invasive therapeutic means for these implications in the coronary network is vital and has become an interdisciplinary concern. Accordingly, smart drug delivery systems, specifically based on micro- and nanoparticles, as a promising method to offer non/minimal-invasive therapeutic mechanisms are under active research. Notably, computational models enable us to study, design, and predict treatment strategies based on smart drug delivery systems with less time and cost compared with conventional procedures in interventional cardiology. Also, the optimisation and development of computational methods and models have created a broad and practical insight into patient-specific drug design and therapeutic interventions. This review discusses the most recent works on the transport, dynamics, and delivery of particles as drug carriers to target thrombus, inflamed surfaces, and atherosclerotic plaques. Towards understanding and producing optimised particle-based cardiovascular drug delivery systems, this review conveys an original and multifaceted image on the modelling for drug carrier design.