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- Title
In silico models for cellular and molecular immunology: successes, promises and challenges.
- Authors
Chakraborty, Arup K.; Dustin, Michael L.; Shaw, Andrey S.
- Abstract
As with all scientific disciplines, advances in immunology are driven by experimental observations. Observations yield facts that can be integrated into hypotheses and theoretical models that are amenable to further experimental tests. The ultimate product of this iterative process of making observations and theoretical model building is mechanistic understanding. The creation of models has been essential in many important advances in biology; the most famous example is Watson and Crick's model for the structure of DNA. Exploration of ideas with conceptual models before the availability of experimental data has also led to the development of some of the basic paradigms of immunology. In the past three decades, advances in cell culture techniques, immunochemistry, recombinant DNA methodology, X-ray crystallography and the use of transgenic mice have enabled the explanation of diverse immunological phenomena in terms of protein structure and specific biochemical events. However, there are some recent indications that quantitative theoretical models can partner fruitfully with cellular experiments to substantially advance the understanding of molecular mechanisms that underlie key events such as T cell activation, T cell migration and thymocyte selection.
- Subjects
IMMUNOLOGY; RECOMBINANT DNA; T cells; CELL migration; CRYSTALLOGRAPHY
- Publication
Nature Immunology, 2003, Vol 4, Issue 10, p933
- ISSN
1529-2908
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/ni1003-933