Mathematical Models of the Inflammatory Response in the Lungs

Author

Sarah B. Minucci, Virginia Commonwealth UniversityFollow

DOI

https://doi.org/10.25772/EYXV-AF97

Author ORCID Identifier

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0014-9329

Defense Date

2017

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Department

Mathematical Sciences

First Advisor

Angela Reynolds

Second Advisor

Reed Ogrosky

Third Advisor

Rebecca Heise

Abstract

Inflammation in the lungs can occur for many reasons, from bacterial infections to stretch by mechanical ventilation. In this work we compare and contrast various mathematical models for lung injuries in the categories of acute infection, latent versus active infection, and particulate inhalation. We focus on systems of ordinary differential equations (ODEs), agent-based models (ABMs), and Boolean networks. Each type of model provides different insight into the immune response to damage in the lungs. This knowledge includes a better understanding of the complex dynamics of immune cells, proteins, and cytokines, recommendations for treatment with antibiotics, and a foundation for more well-informed experiments and clinical trials. In each chapter, we provide an in-depth analysis of one model and summaries of several others. In this way we gain a better understanding of the important aspects of modeling the immune response to lung injury and identify possible points for future research.

Rights

© The Author

Is Part Of

VCU University Archives

Is Part Of

VCU Theses and Dissertations

Date of Submission

12-14-2017