Multiscale Modeling Framework for Lung Airways Inflammation

Better understanding of the acute/chronic inflammation in airways is very important in to order avoid lung injuries for patients undergoing mechanical ventilation. Inflammation is a complex and dynamic process triggered by many mechanisms within the lung and involves multiple scales starting from organ level to cellular level. In this study, a multiscale modeling framework is being developed to address the cellular inflammation due to mechanical ventilation at the organ level. The developed multiscale modeling framework is illustrated through a case study to investigate inflammatory responses at the alveolar sac during mechanical ventilation. The simulation results showed that high tidal volume (1400 cc) during mechanical ventilation can cause tissue injury due to high concentration of activated immune cells. These results can be further extended to investigate the effects of mechanical ventilation parameters.