Author(s)

Gelayol Nazari Golpayegani¹, Amir Homayoun Jafari^2,3*, Nader Jafarnia Dabanloo¹

¹Department of Biomedical Engineering, Science and Research Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran.
²Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering Department, School of Medicine, Tehran University of Medical Science, Tehran, Iran.
³Research Center for Biomedical Technologies and Robotics (RCBTR), Tehran University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran.

The aim of this study is to develop two-dimensional cellular automata model of HIV infection that depicts the dynamics involved in the interactions between acquired immune system and HIV infection in the peripheral blood stream. The appropriate biological rules of cellular automata model have been extracted from expert knowledge and the model has been simulated with determined initial conditions. Obtained results have been validated through comparing with the accepted AIDS reference curve. The new rules and states were added to the proposed model to show the effects of applying combined antiretroviral therapy. Our results showed that by applying RTI and PI drugs with maximum drug effectiveness, comparing with cases in which no treatment was applied, the steady state concentrations of healthy (infected) CD₄⁺T cells were increased (decreased) 53% (41%). Also, the use of cART with maximum drug effectiveness led to a 69% reduction in the steady state level of viral load. At this time, obtained results have been validated through comparing with available clinical data. Our results showed good agreement with both reference curve and the clinical data. In the second phase of this study, by applying genetic algorithms, a therapeutic schedule has been provided that its use, while maintaining the quality of the treatment, leads to a 47% reduction in both drug dosage and the side effects of antiretroviral drugs.

HIV Infection, Cellular Automata Model, Combined Antiretroviral Therapy, Genetic Algorithms

Golpayegani, G. , Jafari, A. and Dabanloo, N. (2017) Providing a Therapeutic Scheduling for HIV Infected Individuals with Genetic Algorithms Using a Cellular Automata Model of HIV Infection in the Peripheral Blood Stream. Journal of Biomedical Science and Engineering, 10, 77-106. doi: 10.4236/jbise.2017.103008.