Continuum models for liposome and macromolecular drug transport in tissue

The effective transport properties for macromolecules and liposomes in tissue are determined with respect to their importance on the delivery of sufficient quantities of anti-cancer drugs to tumor regions. Transport of liposomes which are not small compared to the gaps between cells, differs from transport of macromolecules. The hydrodynamic mobility of liposomes is decreased by the proximity to cell walls, hence resulting to smaller effective diffusivity. In channels between irregularly shaped cells where the channel width is variable, coupling between diffusion and convection of liposomes arises from migration across fluid streamlines, leading to non-uniform concentration distributions across the channels.