An Intercellular Communication System for Intra-Body Communication Networks

Intercellular communication is crucial for organ function, with extracellular vesicles (EVs) acting as common messengers for almost all cells. This study proposes a novel EV-mediated intercellular communication system that uses a modulation technique regulated via altered intracellular-cytosolic calcium dynamics regulation. As a case study, intercellular communication within a cardiac muscle is considered with cardiomyocyte cells serving as transceivers. Through molecular communication theory, we propose a comprehensive model addressing EV release kinetics, propagation, degradation, and uptake. A linear time-invariant Poisson channel model is developed and closed-form expressions, verified through particle-based simulations, are derived for EV detection probabilities at the receiver. A closed-form bit error probability is derived and validated through Monte Carlo simulations. By selecting an optimal receiver threshold: 1) bit error rate (BER) in EV-mediated intercellular communication is robust against adverse effects from cardiac disorders, such as myocardial infarction; 2) transmitter design can be optimized by minimizing actuation signal amplitude and pulse width; 3) BER stays stable across heart rates for different distances, demonstrating the robustness of EV-mediated communication. This study enhances our ability to engineer precise and reliable intra-body cardiac communications, which may offer valuable applications for cardiovascular disease treatment, for example, the realization of biological lead-less multi-nodal pacemakers.