Summer School on Mathematics in Biology in Medicine

September 20-24, 2004

Lee Segel

The Weizmann Institute of Science, Israel

Choosing an appropriate immune response

Abstract

How does the immune system select among all its possible responses those few that are relevant for a given challenge, for example how is an appropriate selection made between the Th1 and Th2 options? Emphasis will be given to the idea that information from a variety of sensors is used to modify an initial built-in response in accord with a variety of overlapping and contradicting immune system "goals". There will be some treatment of immune system errors, such as autoimmune disease and allergy.