Liver Disease Models: Multiscale and Multiphase Modeling of the Human Liver

The liver is the central metabolic organ of the human body, responsible for maintaining metabolic balance, detoxifying harmful substances, and storing energy. Its functionality depends strongly on blood perfusion through the smallest sub-units, the lobules. Disorders such as steatosis, cirrhosis, or tumors, as well as surgical interventions like resections or transplantations, can disrupt this perfusion and impair liver function. Because the processes span from the whole organ down to individual cells, it is extremely difficult to study them in detail with conventional experimental models.

To address this complexity, DiLiLab uses a multiscale and multiphase modeling framework based on the Theory of Porous Media. At the organ level, perfusion and blood pressure are simulated. At the lobule level, the anisotropic blood flow through sinusoids is modeled. At the cellular level, ordinary differential equations describe metabolic processes in hepatocytes. This continuum-mechanical formulation links the macro (organ), meso (lobule), and micro (cell) scales to provide an integrated description of liver physiology.

These numerical models provide a non-invasive and patient-specific way to analyze liver function, disease progression, and treatment options. By replacing animal models with in silico simulations, DiLiLab contributes to reducing animal experimentation while still enabling detailed investigation of complex liver processes. The models also help refine clinical strategies by allowing virtual testing of therapies and surgical procedures before they are applied in patients.