# Development of Patient-Specific Mathematical Models for the Transport of Solute Molecules in the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Along the Spinal Canal

> **NIH NIH R01** · UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO · 2023 · $469,247

## Abstract

Development of patient-specific mathematical models for the transport of solute molecules in the
cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) along the spinal canal
PROJECT SUMMARY / ABSTRACT
The cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is predominantly secreted from the blood plasma and continuously bathes and
circulates around the external surfaces of the brain and spinal cord. It maintains the electrolytic balance of the
central nervous system (CNS), and serves as a medium for the supply of nutrients to neuronal and glial cells and
the removal of waste products of cellular metabolism. It also transports hormones, neurotransmitters, and other
neuropeptides throughout the CNS. The deregulation of the CSF circulation may compromise the transport of these
solutes and the normal physiologic functions of the CNS contributing to the development of some cognitive and
neurological diseases. CSF also provides a conduit for the delivery of potent analgesics and chemotherapy to the
CNS, a drug delivery procedure often referred to as intrathecal or intraspinal drug delivery (ITDD). To date, there is
no comprehensive methodology capable of predicting the patient-specific, long-term, motion of the CSF and the
transport of solute molecules along the spinal canal. Thus, the main objective of this proposal is to develop a
comprehensive modeling methodology capable of predicting the long-term transport of solute molecules along the
spinal canal in each patient-specific anatomy and physiological conditions. The modeling approach combines the
use of two time-scales asymptotic analysis of the Eulerian velocity field of the CSF in the spinal canal with in-vitro
experimentation and detailed in-vivo validation with patient-specific radiological measurements. The proposed
methodology is valid for a wide range of molecular diffusivities and accounts for convective effects of the CSF,
including “shear-enhanced diffusion”, “steady-streaming”, and “Stokes drift”, to determine the long-time Lagrangian
transport of the solute in the subarachnoid space (SAS) of the spinal canal. The expected outcomes of the proposed
research are twofold: 1) it will provide a detailed understanding of the mechanisms regulating the transport of all
important molecules key to the functioning of the CNS and 2) it will also provide the methodology necessary to
optimize ITDD protocols.

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10680419
- **Project number:** 5R01NS120343-04
- **Recipient organization:** UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA, SAN DIEGO
- **Principal Investigator:** Antonio Luis Sanchez
- **Activity code:** R01 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2023
- **Award amount:** $469,247
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2020-09-30 → 2025-08-31

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10680419

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10680419, Development of Patient-Specific Mathematical Models for the Transport of Solute Molecules in the Cerebrospinal Fluid (CSF) Along the Spinal Canal (5R01NS120343-04). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-24 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10680419. Licensed CC0.

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