Multiple latticed cellular automata: HIV dynamics in coupled lymph node and peripheral blood compartments

Abstract

Cellular automata simulation approach has become well known as a useful technique to investigate complex biomedical systems in situations where traditional methodologies are difficult or too costly to employ. So far, relatively simple cellular automata models have been proposed to simulate the dynamics of HIV infection in human. Most cellular automata models only considered viral proliferation in the lymph node. However, most clinical indications of AIDS progression are based on blood data, because these data are most easily obtained. Since viral population circulates between lymph node and plasma, viral load in the two compartments are important for the description of HIV infection dynamics. We present here cellular automata simulations of a two-compartment model of HIV proliferation with delay.