Modeling Immune System Dynamics during HIV Infection and Treatment with Differential Equations

Authors

Nicole Rychagov, Harvard UniversityFollow

Publication Date

4-1-2023

Keywords

Mathematical Modeling, Differential Equations, Immune System Dynamics Under HIV Infection, AIDS, Antiretroviral Therapy, HIV Treatment

Disciplines

Applied Mathematics | Disease Modeling | Ordinary Differential Equations and Applied Dynamics | Science and Mathematics Education | Virus Diseases

Abstract

An inquiry-based project that discusses immune system dynamics during HIV infection using differential equations is presented. The complex interactions between healthy T-cells, latently infected T-cells, actively infected T-cells, and the HIV virus are modeled using four nonlinear differential equations. The model is adapted to simulate long term HIV dynamics, including the AIDS state, and is used to simulate the long term effects of the traditional antiretroviral therapy (ART). The model is also used to test viral rebound over time of combined application of ART and a new drug that blocks the reactivation of the viral genome in the infected cells and locks the HIV virus into a state of latency.

Recommended Citation

Rychagov, Nicole (2023) "Modeling Immune System Dynamics during HIV Infection and Treatment with Differential Equations," CODEE Journal: Vol. 16, Article 1.
Available at: https://scholarship.claremont.edu/codee/vol16/iss1/1

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