title: Agent based modeling of Treg-Teff cross regulation in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a disease of central nervous system that causes the removal of fatty myelin sheath from axons of the brain and spinal cord. Autoimmunity plays an important role in this pathology outcome and body's own immune system attacks on the myelin sheath causing the damage. The etiology of the disease is partially understood and the response to treatment cannot easily be predicted.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We presented the results obtained using 8 genetically predisposed randomly chosen individuals reproducing both the absence and presence of malfunctions of the Teff-Treg cross-balancing mechanisms at a local level. For simulating the absence of a local malfunction we supposed that both Teff and Treg populations had similar maximum duplication rates. Results presented here suggest that presence of a genetic predisposition is not always a sufficient condition for developing the disease. Other conditions such as a breakdown of the mechanisms that regulate and allow peripheral tolerance should be involved.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The presented model allows to capture the essential dynamics of relapsing-remitting MS despite its simplicity. It gave useful insights that support the hypothesis of a breakdown of Teff-Treg cross balancing mechanisms.
authors.forename: Marzio
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Pennisi
authors.forename: Abdul-Mateen
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Rajput
authors.forename: Luca
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Toldo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pappalardo
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D006801:Humans; D008954:Models, Biological; D020529:Multiple Sclerosis, Relapsing-Remitting / Q000276:immunology* / Q000503:physiopathology; D016176:T-Lymphocyte Subsets / Q000276:immunology*; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology*