We know, down to the tiniest details, the molecular structure of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Yet despite this tremendous accomplishment, and despite other remarkable advances in our understanding of individual viruses and cells of the immune system, we still have no agreed
understanding of the ultimate course and variability of the pathogenesis of AIDS. Gaps in our understanding like these impeded our efforts towards developing effective therapies and preventive vaccines. The authors describe the emerging field of theoretical immunology in this accessible and
well-written text. Using mathematical modelling techniques, the authors set out their ideas about how populations of viruses and populations of immune system cells may interact in various circumstances, and how infectious diseases spread within patients. They explain how this approach to
understanding infectious diseases can reveal insights into the dynamics of viral and other infections, and the interactions between infectious agents and immune responses. The book is structured around the examples of HIV/AIDS and Hepatitis B virus, although the approaches described will be more
widely applicable. The authors use mathematical tools to uncover the detailed dynamics of the infection and the dynamics of immune responses, viral evolution, and mutation. The practical implications of this work for optimization of the design of therapy and vaccines are discussed. The book
concludes with a glance towards the future of this fascinating, and potentially highly useful, field of study.

• Preface


• 1: Introduction: Viruses, immunity, equations


• 2: HIV


• 3: The basic model of virus dynamics


• 4: Anti-viral drug therapy


• 5: Dynamics of hepatitis B virus


• 6: Dynamics of immune responses


• 7: How fast do immune responses eliminate infected cells?


• 8: What is a quasispecies


• 9: The frequency of resistant mutant virus before anti-viral therapy


• 10: Emergence of drug resistance


• 11: Timing the emergence of resistance


• 12: Simple antigenic variation


• 13: Advanced antigenic variation


• 14: Multiple epitopes


• 15: Everything we know so far and beyond


• Appendix A - Dynamics of resistance in different types of infected cells


• Appendix B - Analysis of multiple epitope dynamics

MARTIN NOWAK is Professor of Mathematics and Biology at Harvard University. He is a leading researcher in the areas of theoretical and evolutionary biology. He has proposed that cooperation is the third fundamental principle of evolution, alongside mutation and selection. His work has helped to create fields such as evolutionary dynamics, virus dynamics, mathematical oncology, and evolution of cooperation. He has published more than 500 papers and four books. For many years, Martin has also been working in the domain of Science and Religion. Before coming to Harvard in 2003, he held professorships at the University of Oxford and the Institute for Advanced Study in Princeton. In 2015, he received the honorary degree Doctor of Humane Letters from the Dominican School of Philosophy & Theology at Berkeley. He is Roman Catholic.