AUTHOR=van Aken George A. 

TITLE=Computer modeling of digestive processes in the alimentary tract and their physiological regulation mechanisms: closing the gap between digestion models and in vivo behavior

JOURNAL=Frontiers in Nutrition

VOLUME=11

YEAR=2024

URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/nutrition/articles/10.3389/fnut.2024.1339711

DOI=10.3389/fnut.2024.1339711

ISSN=2296-861X

ABSTRACT=<sec><title>Introduction</title><p>A model has been developed for in silico simulation of digestion and its physiological feedback mechanisms.</p></sec><sec><title>Methods</title><p>The model is based on known physiology described in the literature and is able to describe the complexity of many simultaneous processes related to food digestion.</p></sec><sec><title>Results</title><p>Despite the early stage of development of the model, it already encompasses a large number of processes that occur simultaneously, enabling the prediction of a large number of post-prandial physiological markers, which can be highly functional in combination with in vitro, organ-on-a-chip and digital twin models purposed to measure the physiological properties of organs and to predict the effect of adjusted food composition in normal and diseased states.</p></sec><sec><title>Discussion</title><p>Input from and collaboration between science fileds is needed to further develop and refine the model and to connect with <italic>in vitro</italic>, <italic>in vivo</italic>, and <italic>ex vivo</italic> (organ-on-a-chip) models.</p></sec>