Roberto Sáenz

The innate immune response is the first line of defense of a host against a viral infection. Its importance has been recognized in numerous experimental and clinical studies. In this talk, I show the crucial role of innate immunity using mathematical models. First, I present models of viral dynamics within a host, defined as ordinary differential equations and parameterized with
experimental infections in animals, to evaluate various mechanisms by which the innate response can act. Then, to provide further evidence of the effect of innate immunity, I present models based on cellular automata that describe influenza virus infection of tissue extracted from the respiratory system of animals (known as ex vivo experiments). Finally, I discuss the significance of my findings.