Personalized multiscale modeling of coronary plaque progression: the interaction between low-density-lipoprotein transport and cellular dynamics

Authors: Anna Corti, Giuseppe De Nisco, Jolanda J. Wentzel, Francesco Migliavacca, Umberto Morbiducci, Claudio Chiastra

Keywords

Agent-based model (ABM); Three-pore model; Coronary artery; Atherosclerotic plaque.

Summary

This study presents a novel multiscale agent-based modeling framework to investigate atherosclerotic plaque formation and progression. The model integrates hemodynamics, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) transport, and cellular dynamics by combining computational fluid dynamics, a trans-endothelial transport model, and an agent-based approach. For the first time, the framework was applied to a patient-specific coronary artery and validated against 1-year follow-up data with errors of less than 10%. Simulations showed that different LDL levels can lead to distinct plaque morphologies, ranging from localized to diffuse patterns. Overall, the study highlights the potential of patient-specific multiscale modeling to better understand and predict plaque progression.

For futher details, here is the link for the open access publication.