The Host-Pathogen Game: An Evolutionary Approach to Biological Competitions
Authored by Marco Alberto Javarone
Date Published: 2018
DOI: 10.3389/fphy.2018.00094
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Abstract
We introduce a model called Host-Pathogen game for studying biological
competitions. Notably, we focus on the invasive dynamics of external
agents, like bacteria, within a host organism. The former are mapped to
a population of defectors that aim to spread in the extracellular medium
of the host. In turn, the latter is composed of cells, mapped to a
population of cooperators, that aim to kill pathogens. The cooperative
behavior of cells is fundamental for the emergence of the living
functions of the whole organism, since each one contributes to a
specific set of tasks. So, broadly speaking, their contribution can be
viewed as a form of energy. When bacteria are spatially close to a cell,
the latter can use a fraction of its energy to remove them. On the other
hand, when bacteria survive an attack, they absorb the received energy,
becoming stronger and more resistant to further attacks. In addition,
since bacteria play as defectors, their unique target is to increase
their wealth, without supporting their own kind. As in many living
organisms, the host temperature plays a relevant role in the
host-pathogen equilibrium. For instance, in animals like human beings, a
neural mechanism triggers the increasing of the body temperature in
order to activate the immune system. Here, cooperators succeed once
bacteria are completely removed while, in the opposite scenario, the
host undergoes a deep invasive process, like a blood poisoning. Results
of numerical simulations show that the dynamics of the proposed model
allow to reach a variety of states. At a very high level of abstraction,
some of these states seem to be similar to those that can be observed in
some living systems. Therefore, to conclude, we deem that our model
might be exploited for studying further biological phenomena.
Tags
Agent-based modeling
Dynamics
networks
statistical physics
Evolutionary game theory
System
Numerical simulations
Biological modeling