Using mathematical modeling to understand kinetics of lymphocyte migration

     The kinetics of recirculation of naive lymphocytes in the body has important implications for the speed at which local infections are detected and controlled by immune responses. While molecules involved in migration of lymphocytes to secondary lymphoid tissues such as spleen and lymph nodes have been identified, the time it takes for lymphocytes to migrate via such tissues remains only approximately known. In this talk I will demonstrate how wealth of experimental data from various immunological experiments can be used to estimate rates of lymphocyte migration via major secondary lymphoid tissues in mice and sheep. I will also illustrate difficulties associated with modeling lymphocyte migration when several alternative models can equally well describe experimental data.