Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) Disease Progression: A Cellular Automata Simulation

Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) is a retrovirus that strikes the immune system, leading to acquired immunodeficiency syndrome. Although the medical and biology fields have made significant progress in understanding the multi-faceted relationship between HIV and immune cells, the dynamics of the progression of HIV to AIDS require a more thorough investigation through theoretical modeling. The cellular automata simulation represented the human body in a 3D grid populated by cells. The dynamics of the effects of age and treatment on the viral load and CD4^+ T-cell counts were simulated. The result showed that the treatment’s impact on healthy cells' recovery is connected with age. Further, the treatment also slowed down the infection, controlling the increase in viral load. Visible HIV progression was observed from time step 6 to time step 10 during the simulation. This shows that CA simulation can describe the dynamics of HIV progression, immune response, and treatment effects.