Agent-based modelling of viral infection.

Abstract

The three phases of the macroscopic evolution of the HIV infection are well-known, but it is still difficult to understand how the cellular-level interactions come together to create this characteristic pattern and in particular why there are such differences in individual responses. An “agent-based” approach is chosen, as a means of inferring high-level behaviour from a small set of interaction rules at the cellular level. Here the emphasis is put on the cell mobility and the viral mutations.