Mario de Lucio's website

I am a Research Scientist in the Regenstrief Center for Healthcare Engineering at Purdue University working with Prof. Pavlos Vlachos and Prof. Hector Gomez.

I consider myself a computational mechanician, I develop new modeling and computer-based simulation techniques to address real-world problems in mechanical and biomedical engineering. The core of my research philosophy lies in bridging the gap between computational theory and practical application. I am interested in tailoring computational models to capture the complex dynamics occurring at the intersection between biology and mechanics, providing insights that are not easily attainable through experimental methods alone.

In my PhD thesis, I focused on the transport and mechanical processes behind subcutaneous injection for self-administration of biotherapeutics, particularly monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). My research developed a high-fidelity computational framework to study large-volume subcutaneous injection of mAbs, combining large-deformation mechanics, and porous media flow with drug transport and absorption. My simulations provided essential insights into improving subcutaneous drug administration and developing patient-centered injection devices and techniques.

news

Feb 27, 2025	Mario de Lucio participates as an actor in the Purdue University Enterprise Campaign
Dec 12, 2024	Our paper on a MPET2-mPBPK model for subcutaneous injection of biotherapeutics with different molecular weights has been published in Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine.
Oct 21, 2024	Mario de Lucio is selected as a 2024 Robert J. Melosh Medal Finalist
Oct 07, 2024	Our Research on mAb Transport Featured by the Pittsburgh Supercomputing Center
Jul 10, 2024	Our paper on modeling drug transport and absorption in subcutaneous injection of monoclonal antibodies just got published in the International Journal of Pharmaceutics
Apr 03, 2024	Mario succesfully defended his PhD thesis
Nov 10, 2023	Mario is awarded the Ben M. Hillberry Graduate Scholarship
Jul 22, 2023	Mario de Lucio is selected as a 2023 Trailblazers in Engineering Fellow by Purdue College of Engineering.
Jul 03, 2023	Mario de Lucio wins the Runner-up award in the Poromechanics student competition at the Engineering Mechanics Institute Conference in Atlanta, GA.

Selected publications

A MPET2-mPBPK model for subcutaneous injection of biotherapeutics with different molecular weights: From local scale to whole-body scale

Hao Wang, Mario de Lucio, Tianyi Hu, Yu Leng, and 1 more author

Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, 2024

Abs Bib

Background and Objective: Subcutaneous injection of biotherapeutics has attracted considerable attention in the pharmaceutical industry. However, there is limited understanding of the mechanisms underlying the absorption of drugs with different molecular weights and the delivery of drugs from the injection site to the targeted tissue. Methods: We propose the MPET2-mPBPK model to address this issue. This multiscale model couples the MPET2 model, which describes subcutaneous injection at the local tissue scale from a biomechanical view, with a post-injection absorption model at the injection site and a minimal physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (mPBPK) model at the whole-body scale. Utilizing the principles of tissue biomechanics and fluid dynamics, the local MPET2 model provides solutions that account for tissue deformation and drug absorption in local blood vessels and initial lymphatic vessels during injection. Additionally, we introduce a model accounting for the molecular weight effect on the absorption by blood vessels and a nonlinear model accounting for the absorption in lymphatic vessels. The post-injection model predicts drug absorption in local blood vessels and initial lymphatic vessels, which are integrated into the whole-body mPBPK model to describe the pharmacokinetic behaviors of the absorbed drug in the circulatory and lymphatic system. Results: We establish a numerical model that links the biomechanical process of subcutaneous injection at the local tissue scale and the pharmacokinetic behaviors of injected biotherapeutics at the whole-body scale. With the help of the model, we propose an explicit relationship between the reflection coefficient and molecular weight and predict the bioavailability of biotherapeutics with varying molecular weights via subcutaneous injection. Conclusion: The considered drug absorption mechanisms enable us to study the differences in local drug absorption and whole-body drug distribution with varying molecular weights. This model enhances the understanding of drug absorption mechanisms and transport routes in the circulatory system for drugs of different molecular weights and holds the potential to facilitate the application of computational modeling to drug formulation.
@article{WANG2024108543, title = {A MPET2-mPBPK model for subcutaneous injection of biotherapeutics with different molecular weights: From local scale to whole-body scale}, journal = {Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine}, volume = {233}, pages = {108543}, year = {2024}, issn = {0169-2607}, doi = {10.1016/j.cmpb.2024.108543}, url = {https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169260724005364}, author = {Wang, Hao and {de Lucio}, Mario and Hu, Tianyi and Leng, Yu and Gomez, Hector}, keywords = {Multi-network poroelastic and transport model (MPET), Physiologically-based pharmacokinetics, Subcutaneous injection, Drug absorption, Molecular weight effect} }