Abstract B59: Mathematical Model of Oxygen Transport in Tuberculosis Granulomas

Abstract

Abstract Pulmonary granulomas—the hallmark of Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB) infection—are dense cellular lesions that, like solid tumors, often feature regions of hypoxia and necrosis partially due to limited transport of oxygen. Low oxygen in granulomas can impair the host immune response, while MTB are able to adapt and persist in hypoxic environments. Here, we used a physiologically based mathematical model of oxygen diffusion and consumption, based on models originally derived for avascular tumors, to calculate oxygen profiles within the granuloma, assuming Michaelis-Menten kinetics. An approximate analytical solution—using a priori and newly estimated parameters from experimental data in a rabbit model of tuberculosis—was able to predict the size of hypoxic and necrotic regions in agreement with experimental results from the animal model. Such quantitative understanding of transport limitations can inform future tuberculosis therapeutic strategies that may include adjunct host-directed therapies that facilitate oxygen and drug delivery for more effective treatment. Citation Format: Meenal Datta, Laura Via, Wei Chen, James Baish, Lei Xu, Clfton Barry, Rakesh Jain. Mathematical Model of Oxygen Transport in Tuberculosis Granulomas. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Engineering and Physical Sciences in Oncology; 2016 Jun 25-28; Boston, MA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(2 Suppl):Abstract nr B59.