A combined experimental and mathematical modeling approach to dissect the mode of Leishmania Major control

Anastasios Siokis (Helmholtz Centre for Infection Research, Germany)

Thursday 28th May, 2020 14:00-15:00 ZOOM (ID: 975 0629 9248)

Abstract

Please Note: The ZOOM meeting will be password protected, as per the e-mail you received with subject: "Applied Mathematics Seminar ZOOM password".

Leishmaniasis, the disease caused by parasites of the Leishmania type, is responsible for 26-65.000 deaths per annum worldwide. Leishmania parasites actively invade or are phagocytosed by Macrophages, where they multiply. At the same time, Macrophages are able to control the initial infection, but the mode of control remains unknown. The majority of infections ends up in a chronic state where parasites and Macrophages coexist.

 

In a combined experimental and mathematical modeling approach, we try to shed light into the mechanisms resulting in the control as well as the chronic phase of the infection. We have developed and ordinary differential equation (ODE) model, simulating the population dynamics of four Macrophage compartments, i.e. non-infected and non activated (M), infected (M_i), activated (M_a), and infected and activated (M_ia) and the parasite load (P). The model is calibrated by fitting to experimental data obtained by mouse models. It is then used to investigate different hypothesis concerning the mode of Leishmania control, including Macrophage intrinsic or extrinsic killing, as well as proliferation inhibition.

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