Modelagem computacional da ativação da resposta imune e desmielinização na esclerose múltipla

Abstract

Multiple Sclerosis is a disease that affects approximately 2.8 million people worldwide. It is characterized by the immune system’s reaction to central nervous system cells. This reaction leads to the formation of plaque in the brain of individuals affected by the disease, which are indicative of the disease’s progression and the patient’s clinical state. This work aims to demonstrate that a mathematical model can represent the formation of demyelination plaques resulting from the activation of the immune response during the acute phase of the disease, which is the period when patients’ symptoms worsen. As the model requires high computational cost, parallel implementations were made to reduce the model’s simulation execution time. Sensitivity analysis of the model’s parameters concerning the concentration of destroyed oligodendrocytes indicates a significant impact from microglia during this phase of the disease. The computational model results were compared to data from the literature, showing that it is capable of representing immune response activation and plaque formation.