page_title: Systems immunology
section_title: Techniques of modelling in Immune cells
hierarchical_section_title: Systems immunology / Techniques of modelling in Immune cells
context_page_description: Systems immunology is a research field under systems biology that uses mathematical approaches and computational methods to examine the interactions within cellular and molecular networks of the immune system. The immune system has been thoroughly analyzed as regards to its components and function by using a "reductionist" approach, but its overall function can't be easily predicted by studying the characteristics of its isolated components because they strongly rely on the interactions among these numerous constituents. It focuses on in silico experiments rather than in vivo.
  Recent studies in experimental and clinical immunology have led to development of mathematical models that discuss the dynamics of both the innate and adaptive immune system. Most of the mathematical models were used to examine processes in silico that can't be done in vivo. These processes include: the activation of T cells, cancer-immune interactions, migration and death of various immune cells and how the immune system will respond to a certain vaccine or drug without carrying out a clinical trial.
context_section_description: The techniques that are used in immunology for modelling have a quantitative and qualitative approach, where both have advantages and disadvantages. Quantitative models predict certain kinetic parameters and the behavior of the system at a certain time point or concentration point. The disadvantage is that it can only be applied to a small number of reactions and prior knowledge about some kinetic parameters is needed. On the other hand, qualitative models can take into account more reactions but in return they provide less details about the kinetics of the system. The only thing in common is that both approaches lose simplicity and become useless when the number of components drastically increase.
caption: A scheme that describes how mathematical models are used in immunology.
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