Mathematical Models of HIV Progression

Dr. Glenn F. Webb

Department of Mathematics
Vanderbilt University

March 12, 1999

Abstract

Mathematical models of the HIV infected immune system provide insight into the dynamic processes of interacting CD4 T cells and virus populations. Questions concerning the production rates, loss rates, and net rates of change of these populations can be formulated with differential equations models. The solutions of these models can be simulated to check for consistency with known and hypothesized dynamical behavior of these populations. The models can be used to simulate treatment with antiviral drugs such as reverse transcriptase inhibitors and protease inhibitors, and to address issues such as strategy of treatment scheduling and development of drug-resistant viral strains.