Abstract

Identification of a differentiation pathway common to all CD8 T cells and enabling to characterize functionnal properties during acute infections generated intense discussions over the past five years. I will present a differentiation pathway based on Mki67 and Bcl2 expressions, obtained by combining immunological data, bioinformatics and mathematical modeling, in collaboration with immunologists colleagues in Lyon (Dr. Marvel’s team at the International Center for Research in Infectiology). I will then introduce a computational multiscale model of the CD8 T cell response that includes coupled descriptions of both molecular and cellular dynamics and I will show that it represents an original tool for investigating the influence of early molecular events on the long-term cellular dynamics in silico. Finally, I will conclude with preliminary results on the role of molecular and cellular heterogeneity in the process of immune memory generation, based on the previously mentioned multiscale model.