Understanding Immunology via Engineering Design: The Role of Mathematical Prototyping

Figure 6

Schematic diagram of mathematical model for dendritic cell trafficking within the lung epithelial microenvironment. An aerosol challenge results in the increase of antigenic proteins and the recruitment of DC precursors from the blood into the lung epithelium. DCs dynamically traffic through the lung epithelium and become programmed by the prevailing epithelial microenvironment. Upon maturation, DCs migrate into the lymph nodes and present antigenic peptides obtained in the lung epithelium to naïve CD4+ T helper cells.