Toxics (Jan 2023)

An Overview of Physiologically-Based Pharmacokinetic Models for Forensic Science

  • Kiara Fairman,
  • Me-Kyoung Choi,
  • Pavani Gonnabathula,
  • Annie Lumen,
  • Andrew Worth,
  • Alicia Paini,
  • Miao Li

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/toxics11020126
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 2
p. 126

Abstract

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A physiologically-based pharmacokinetic (PBPK) model represents the structural components of the body with physiologically relevant compartments connected via blood flow rates described by mathematical equations to determine drug disposition. PBPK models are used in the pharmaceutical sector for drug development, precision medicine, and the chemical industry to predict safe levels of exposure during the registration of chemical substances. However, one area of application where PBPK models have been scarcely used is forensic science. In this review, we give an overview of PBPK models successfully developed for several illicit drugs and environmental chemicals that could be applied for forensic interpretation, highlighting the gaps, uncertainties, and limitations.

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