Periodically Pulsed Immunotherapy in a Mathematical Model of Tumor, CD4+ T Cells, and Antitumor Cytokine Interactions
Immunotherapy is one of the most recent approaches for controlling and curing malignant tumors. In this paper, we consider a mathematical model of periodically pulsed immunotherapy using CD4+ T cells and an antitumor cytokine. Mathematical analyses are performed to determine the threshold of a succe...
Main Authors: | , , |
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Format: | Article |
Language: | English |
Published: |
Hindawi Limited
2017-01-01
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Series: | Computational and Mathematical Methods in Medicine |
Online Access: | http://dx.doi.org/10.1155/2017/2906282 |
Summary: | Immunotherapy is one of the most recent approaches for controlling and curing malignant tumors. In this paper, we consider a mathematical model of periodically pulsed immunotherapy using CD4+ T cells and an antitumor cytokine. Mathematical analyses are performed to determine the threshold of a successful treatment. The interindividual variability is explored by one-, two-, and three-parameter bifurcation diagrams for a nontreatment case. Numerical simulation conducted in this paper shows that (i) the tumor can be regulated by administering CD4+ T cells alone in a patient with a strong immune system or who has been diagnosed at an early stage, (ii) immunotherapy with a large amount of an antitumor cytokine can boost the immune system to remit or even to suppress tumor cells completely, and (iii) through polytherapy the tumor can be kept at a smaller size with reduced dosages. |
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ISSN: | 1748-670X 1748-6718 |