title: Physical theory of the competition that allows HIV to escape from the immune system.
abstract: Competition within the immune system may degrade immune control of viral infections. We formalize the evolution that occurs in both HIV-1 and the immune system quasispecies. Inclusion of competition in the immune system leads to a novel balance between the immune response and HIV-1, in which the eventual outcome is HIV-1 escape rather than control. The analytical model reproduces the three stages of HIV-1 infection. We propose a vaccine regimen that may be able to reduce competition between T cells, potentially eliminating the third stage of HIV-1.
authors.affiliation: Department of Bioengineering and Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rice University, Houston, Texas 77005-1892, USA.
authors.forename: Guanyu
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Michael W
authors.initials: MW
authors.lastname: Deem
mesh_terms: D005075:Biological Evolution; D015497:HIV-1 / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007107:Immune System / Q000821:virology*; D018448:Models, Immunological