Investigating CTL mediated killing with a 3D cellular automaton.

ABSTRACT: Cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) are important immune effectors against intra-cellular pathogens. These cells search for infected cells and kill them. Recently developed experimental methods in combination with mathematical models allow for the quantification of the efficacy of CTL killing in vivo and, hence, for the estimation of parameters that characterize the effect of CTL killing on the target cell populations. It is not known how these population-level parameters relate to single-cell properties. To address this question, we developed a three-dimensional cellular automaton model of the region of the spleen where CTL killing takes place. The cellular automaton model describes the movement of different cell populations and their interactions. Cell movement patterns in our cellular automa

SUBMITTER: Graw F 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC2715871 | biostudies-literature | 2009 Aug

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature