title: Repulsion effect on superinfecting virions by infected cells.
abstract: In this paper, the repulsion effect of superinfecting virion by infected cells is studied by a reaction diffusion equation model for virus infection dynamics. In this model, the diffusion of virus depends not only on its concentration gradient but also on the concentration of infected cells. The basic reproduction number, linear stability of steady states, spreading speed and existence of traveling wave solutions for the model are discussed. It is shown that viruses spread more rapidly with the repulsion effect of infected cells on superinfecting virions, than with random diffusion only. For our model, the spreading speed of free virus is not consistent with the minimal traveling wave speed. With our general model, numerical computations of the spreading speed show that the repulsion of superinfecting virion promotes the spread of virus, which confirms, not only qualitatively but also quantitatively, the experimental result of Doceul et al. (Science 327:873-876, 2010).
authors.affiliation: Department of Applied Mathematics, University of Western Ontario, London, ON, N6A 5B7, Canada.
authors.forename: Xiulan
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Lai
authors.forename: Xingfu
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Zou
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D050936:Basic Reproduction Number; D002477:Cells / Q000821:virology*; D054884:Host-Pathogen Interactions; D006801:Humans; D055641:Mathematical Concepts; D008954:Models, Biological; D015163:Superinfection / Q000821:virology*; D013997:Time Factors; D014777:Virus Diseases / Q000635:transmission / Q000821:virology