Revilla, Garcia-Ramos, 2003

Model Status

This is the original unchecked version of the model imported from the previous CellML model repository, 24-Jan-2006.

Model Structure

Current therapies for acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) include inhibitors of the enzymes required for the replication of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV-1). An alternative therapeutic approach uses genetically modified viruses which are then capable of regulating infections by other viruses. The genetically modified virus is able to infect and kill host cells which are already infected with HIV-1, resulting in a decrease in the viral load.

This information has been obtained from in vitro experiments. The potential effectiveness of this treatment for reducing viral load in vivo has not been tested. In the study described here, Revilla and Garcia-Ramos model the potential interactions between HIV-1, its host cell, and a recombinant virus in an in vivo context (see the figure below). Model simulations suggest that the use of recombinant viruses could be effective as a treatment for reducing an individual's HIV-1 load.

The complete original paper reference is cited below:

Fighting a virus with a virus: a dynamic model for HIV-1 therapy, Tomas Revilla and Gisela Garcia-Ramos, 2003, Mathematical Biosciences , 185, 191-203. (Full text (HTML) and PDF versions of the article are available to subscribers on the Mathematical Biosciences website.) PubMed ID: 12941536

Schematic diagram of a model for a double viral infection. Pathogen viral particles V infect normal host cells X, producing single-infected cells Y. These are then infected with the recombinant virus W to become double-infected cells Z. Double-infected cells can produce recombinant viral particles but not pathogen viral particles