A qualitative process theory based model of the HIV-1 virus-cell interaction

• Published in: Computer methods and programs in biomedicine Vol. 43; no. 3; pp. 255 - 259
• Main Authors: Ruggiero, C., Giacomini, M., Varnier, O.E., Gaglio, S.
• Format: Journal Article Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Published: Shannon Elsevier Ireland Ltd 01.06.1994; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: AIDS; AIDS/HIV; Antiviral Agents - therapeutic use; Artificial Intelligence; Biological and medical sciences; Cells - drug effects; Cells - virology; Computer Simulation; Computerized, statistical medical data processing and models in biomedicine; Gene Expression Regulation, Viral; HIV-1 - drug effects; HIV-1 - growth & development; HIV-1 - physiology; Human cell-drug interaction; Humans; Medical sciences; Models and simulation; Models, Biological; Qualitative process theory; Receptors, HIV - physiology; Retroviruses; Virus Integration - physiology; Virus Latency - physiology; Virus Replication; AIDS; Retroviruses; Qualitative process theory; Artificial intelligence; Human cell-drug interaction
• ISSN: 0169-2607; 1872-7565
• DOI: 10.1016/0169-2607(94)90077-9

We present a qualitative model of the interaction between the HIV-1 virus and the human cell, based on qualitative process theory. This model takes into account a previous qualitative model of the cell growth. The model presented here can be regarded as a first step for setting up a comprehensive model of the HIV-1 virus-cell interaction in which the possible points where a drug can attack the virus are evident. The first simulation trials indicate that the presented model reproduces (even though in a simplified way) the features of the real behaviour that have been considered in the modelling phase. Although our simulation is limited in the knowledge it expresses, it still gives a stimulating opportunity for the evaluation of the criteria chosen as discriminant in the interaction between virus and cell.