The contribution of host cell-directed vs. parasite-directed immunity to the disease and dynamics of malaria infections.

ABSTRACT: Hosts defend themselves against pathogens by mounting an immune response. Fully understanding the immune response as a driver of host disease and pathogen evolution requires a quantitative account of its impact on parasite population dynamics. Here, we use a data-driven modeling approach to quantify the birth and death processes underlying the dynamics of infections of the rodent malaria parasite, Plasmodium chabaudi, and the red blood cells (RBCs) it targets. We decompose the immune response into 3 components, each with a distinct effect on parasite and RBC vital rates, and quantify the relative contribution of each component to host disease and parasite density. Our analysis suggests that these components are deployed in a coordinated fashion to realize distinct resource-directed

SUBMITTER: Wale N 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC6825298 | biostudies-literature | 2019 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature