In Silico Study of Bloodstream Penetrating Extracellular Vesicles

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are lipid bilayer enclosed nanovesicles involved in intercellular communication. EVs are emerging as potential cancer biomarkers, providing insights into the condition of parent cancer cells. Their composition and entry into the bloodstream are influenced by factors such as tumor grade, type, and the configuration of the vascular network at the release site. In this work, we propose a computer simulation model to emulate the penetration of EVs into the bloodstream. We take into account convective and diffusive parameters that are influenced by the tumor’s characteristics, and the configuration of the vasculature and lymphatic network. We investigate the penetration rate of EVs into the bloodstream in terms of various parameters such as vessel wall permeability and the configuration of the vasculature and lymphatic networks. Our parametric study using a 2D model demonstrates that increasing the permeability coefficient, as observed in tumor tissue, could lead to a two-fold increase in EV penetration rate into the bloodstream. We believe that this model offers pre-experimental insights concerning liquid biopsy assays and the metastatic progression of the disease.