A graph model for the evolution of specificity in humoral immunity

Journal of Theoretical Biology
Luis E FloresLuís Alfredo V de Carvalho

Abstract

The immune system protects the body against health-threatening entities, known as antigens, through very complex interactions involving the antigens and the system's own entities. One remarkable feature resulting from such interactions is the immune system's ability to improve its capability to fight antigens commonly found in the individual's environment. This adaptation process is called the evolution of specificity. In this paper, we introduce a new mathematical model for the evolution of specificity in humoral immunity, based on Jerne's functional, or idiotypic, network. The evolution of specificity is modeled as the dynamic updating of connection weights in a dynamic graph whose nodes are related to the network's idiotypes. At the core of this weight-updating mechanism are the increase in specificity caused by clonal selection and the decrease in specificity due to the insertion of uncorrelated idiotypes by the bone marrow. As we demonstrate through numerous computer experiments, for appropriate choices of parameters the new model correctly reproduces, in qualitative terms, several immune functions.

References

Apr 7, 1992·Journal of Theoretical Biology·R J De BoerA S Perelson
Aug 1, 1989·Immunological Reviews·D HolmbergS Forsgren
Jul 1, 1995·Scandinavian Journal of Immunology·A Coutinho
Jan 1, 1994·Annual Review of Immunology·P Matzinger
May 21, 1997·Journal of Theoretical Biology·A T Bernardes, R M dos Santos
Mar 29, 2000·Journal of Theoretical Biology·K Harada, T Ikegami
Apr 12, 2003·Physical Review. E, Statistical, Nonlinear, and Soft Matter Physics·Markus Brede, Ulrich Behn
Oct 17, 1959·British Medical Journal·M BURNET

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Citations

Jan 5, 2008·Molecular Ecology·Paul D Williams, Troy Day

❮ Previous
Next ❯

Related Concepts

Related Feeds

Autoimmune Diseases

Autoimmune diseases occur as a result of an attack by the immune system on the body’s own tissues resulting in damage and dysfunction. There are different types of autoimmune diseases, in which there is a complex and unknown interaction between genetics and the environment. Discover the latest research on autoimmune diseases here.

Antibody Specificity

Antibodies produced by B cells are highly specific for antigen as a result of random gene recombination and somatic hypermutation and affinity maturation. As the main effector of the humoral immune system, antibodies can neutralize foreign cells. Find the latest research on antibody specificity here.