A model based analysis of anti-CD4 therapy as adjuvant to HAART interruption
| Authors: | Jeffrey Annah M., University of Pretoria, South Africa
Xia Xiaohua, University of Pretoria, South Africa
Craig Ian K., University of Pretoria, South Africa |
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| Topic: | 8.2 Modelling & Control of Biomedical Systems |
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| Session: | Control Application to Life Medicine II |
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| Keywords: | treatment interruption, therapy scheduling, immune based therapy, anti-CD4, immune modulation |
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Abstract
Interruption of Highly Active Antiretroviral Therapy - HAART can be for a variety of reasons. The reasons could be salvage therapy, autoimmunization or to reduce the total time that the patient is on therapy. The problem with HAART interruption is that the virus starts to rebound immediately following HAART cessation, and there is an associate decline in CD4+ T cell counts. There is therefore a need to employ other therapeutic options that will slow down the viral rebound and/or CD4+ T cell decline during HAART interruption. This paper presents a model based analysis of how the duration of HAART interruption can be extended by CD4+ T specific therapies, for patients who inititate therapy during the chronic infection stage. For these patients, the purpose of interruptions is primarily to reduce the time on HAART.
