Speaker
Description
The complement system is a potent arm of the immune system, linking the adaptive and innate immune systems, and affecting many facets of human pathophysiology. Recent advances in the development of complement-specific drugs in several rare diseases have opened the gateways to apply complement interventions toward a broader array of pathologies. However, this goal remains elusive due to the complexity and the multifaceted roles of the complement system. Mechanistic mathematical models can provide an effective tool to integrate the different mechanisms, features, and feedback loops into a framework that allows the simulation of complement dynamics under different conditions and the prediction of the effect of interventions. In this talk, we provide an overview of the complement system and discuss open problems related to complement biology. We focus on how mechanistic mathematical modeling of the complement system can potentially alleviate some of the challenges in complement biology. In particular, we discuss how discrete modeling has largely been absent from the field and how it might provide some unique opportunities.
