This technique is also known as "individual-based modeling", "bottom-up modeling" and "pattern-oriented modeling". In order to aid in the qualitative characterization and examination of this relationship, we introduce the BIS, an agent-based model (ABM) based on the cellular and molecular mechanisms of the interface between the innate and adaptive immune response.Īgent-based modeling has been used to study the non-linear behavior of complex systems. Both the innate and adaptive components of the host response are complex, and the interaction between the two represents another level of intricate, non-linear and potentially paradoxical behavior. Adaptive immunity is also responsible for processes such as hypersensitivity reactions, autoimmune diseases, cancer and transplant rejection. This process involves exponential proliferation of antigen-specific cells that rapidly eliminate pathogens upon a second encounter. The adaptive immune response, which follows the innate response, is responsible for fighting disease and developing into the memory response. The innate immune system is also recognized to contribute to the pathophysiology of such wide-ranging diseases as atherosclerosis, lung fibrosis, asthma and sepsis. The basic strategy of innate immunity is to kill and clear pathogens. The cells of the innate immune system recognize well conserved "danger" signals, and innate immunity was the first part of the immune system to evolve. The innate immune response is essential for immunity to bacterial, fungal and parasitic infections.
The host response to insult is one of the most striking examples of biocomplexity. As a result, there is rapidly growing interest in the development of "in-silico" research tools to be used as an adjunct to more traditional research endeavors. The presence and effect of biocomplexity on biomedical research is well recognized. We believe that the BIS can be a useful addition to the growing suite of in-silico platforms used as an adjunct to traditional research efforts. The BIS can be used both as an educational tool to demonstrate the emergence of these patterns and as a research tool to systematically identify potential targets for more effective treatment strategies for diseases processes including hypersensitivity reactions (allergies, asthma), autoimmunity and cancer. Thus, the BIS effectively translates mechanistic cellular and molecular knowledge regarding the innate and adaptive immune response and reproduces the immune system's complex behavioral patterns. The behavior of the BIS matches both normal and pathological behavior patterns in a generic viral infection scenario. Deficiency in any of the immune system components increased the probability of failure to clear the simulated viral infection. Deficiency or excess in innate immunity resulted in excessive proliferation of adaptive immune cells. The BIS demonstrated that the degree of the initial innate response was a crucial determinant for an appropriate adaptive response. Calibration was accomplished via a parameter sweep of initial agent population size, and comparison of simulation patterns to those reported in the basic science literature. The BIS was used to qualitatively examine the innate and adaptive interactions of the immune response to a viral infection. The BIS includes a Graphical User Interface (GUI) to facilitate its use as an educational and research tool. The BIS simulates basic cell types, mediators and antibodies, and consists of three virtual spaces representing parenchymal tissue, secondary lymphoid tissue and the lymphatic/humoral circulation. Innate immunity, the initial host response to a pathogen, generally precedes adaptive immunity, which generates immune memory for an antigen.
#Porus antia simulator
We introduce the Basic Immune Simulator (BIS), an agent-based model created to study the interactions between the cells of the innate and adaptive immune system.