title: ImmunoGrid: towards agent-based simulations of the human immune system at a natural scale.
abstract: The ultimate aim of the EU-funded ImmunoGrid project is to develop a natural-scale model of the human immune system-that is, one that reflects both the diversity and the relative proportions of the molecules and cells that comprise it-together with the grid infrastructure necessary to apply this model to specific applications in the field of immunology. These objectives present the ImmunoGrid Consortium with formidable challenges in terms of complexity of the immune system, our partial understanding about how the immune system works, the lack of reliable data and the scale of computational resources required. In this paper, we explain the key challenges and the approaches adopted to overcome them. We also consider wider implications for the present ambitious plans to develop natural-scale, integrated models of the human body that can make contributions to personalized health care, such as the European Virtual Physiological Human initiative. Finally, we ask a key question: How long will it take us to resolve these challenges and when can we expect to have fully functional models that will deliver health-care benefits in the form of personalized care solutions and improved disease prevention?
authors.affiliation: Institute of Structural and Molecular Biology, Department of Biological Sciences, Birkbeck College, University of London, , Malet Street, London WC1E 7HX, UK.
authors.forename: Mark
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Halling-Brown
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
authors.forename: Nicolas
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Rapin
authors.forename: Ping
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Davide
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Alemani
authors.forename: Andrew
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Emerson
authors.forename: Filippo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Castiglione
authors.forename: Patrice
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Duroux
authors.forename: Marzio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Olivo
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Miotto
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Churchill
authors.forename: Elda
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Rossi
authors.forename: David S
authors.initials: DS
authors.lastname: Moss
authors.forename: Clare E
authors.initials: CE
authors.lastname: Sansom
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bernaschi
authors.forename: Marie-Paule
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Lefranc
authors.forename: Søren
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Brunak
authors.forename: Ole
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lund
authors.forename: Santo
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Motta
authors.forename: Pier-Luigi
authors.initials: PL
authors.lastname: Lollini
authors.forename: Annalisa
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Murgo
authors.forename: Arianna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Palladini
authors.forename: Kaye E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: Basford
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Brusic
authors.forename: Adrian J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Shepherd
mesh_terms: D003198:Computer Simulation; D006801:Humans; D007113:Immunity, Innate / Q000276:immunology*; D020407:Internet; D018448:Models, Immunological; D020543:Proteome / Q000276:immunology*; D012984:Software
chemical_list: D020543:Proteome