Held Jointly with the 2004 SIAM Annual Meeting Oregon Convention Center Portland, Oregon

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Modelling Autoimmune (Type 1) Diabetes

Leah Edelstein-Keshet, The University of British Columbia, Canada

Type 1 Diabetes results from complex interactions between the immune system and the cells that produce insulin (beta-cells). Because these interactions occur at many levels, spanning molecular, cellular, organs, and beyond, it is quite challenging to understand how these multiple processes work together, nor how they contribute to the disease (alone, or in combination). In this lecture, I will survey some ongoing modeling efforts that address the pathogenesis of this disease. I will describe the molecular processing of the self-antigen that primes the immune system, the activation and prolipheration of dangerous T-cells that specifically target beta cells, and the roles of macrophages and dendritic cells in the process. This work is joint with D. Coombs (UBC), AFM Maree (Utrecht), D Finegood (Simon Fraser U), and P Santamaria (U Calgary). It is closely linked to experiments. The motdelling is funded by the Mathemaics of Information Technology and Complex Systems (MITACS) under the Canadian Networks of Centers of Excellence program.

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4/7/04

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