Modeling Viral Infections

Abstract

Despite the significant progress that has been made in our understanding of the underlying mechanisms between viral infections and the immune system, many aspects critical to the development of effective therapeutic approaches to different viral infections remain poorly understood. Mechanistic knowledge of the key processes and dynamics that contribute to the establishment of persistence in chronic infections or evasion of the immune systems in acute infections is urgently needed. This article discusses the problems of viral infections deriving in large outbreaks and the advances in mathematical modeling of viral infections. Mathematical modeling is placed in perspective with HIV and influenza infections, showing how computational simulations are instrumental in harnessing our knowledge of the uncharted territory of personalized medicine.