Spatial and non-spatial stochastic models for immune response

摘要

We study some simple mathematical models designed to test the followinghypothesis: can a pathogen escape the immune system only because of its highprobability of mutation? We propose both spatial and non-spatial models. In allof our models, we assume that pathogens can mutate, leading to the appearanceof new types of pathogens. We also assume that the immune system is able to getrid of all the pathogens of a given type at once but that it recognizes onlyone type at a time.