Evidence map›Paper›PMID 34941862›Full record

ArticlePLoS computational biology2021

Spatially distributed infection increases viral load in a computational model of SARS-CoV-2 lung infection.

Melanie E Moses, Steven Hofmeyr, Judy L Cannon, Akil Andrews, Rebekah Gridley, Monica Hinga, Kirtus Leyba, Abigail Pribisova, Vanessa Surjadidjaja, Humayra Tasnim and 1 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in PLoS computational biology, 2021. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 18 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
18citing papers in PubMed
1.4field-weighted citation impact, top 15% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

18 citing papers in PubMed, 28 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Article
  4. Spatially structured models of viral dynamics: a scoping review.Microbiology and molecular biology reviews : MMBR · 2025
    Article
  5. Viral Dynamic Models During COVID-19: Are We Ready for the Next Pandemic?CPT: pharmacometrics & systems pharmacology · 2025
    Review
  6. Article
  7. Quantitatively Mapping Immune Control during Influenza.Current opinion in systems biology · 2024
    Article
  8. Article
  9. Review
  10. Article
  11. Article
  12. Article
  13. Article
  14. Article
  15. Article
  16. Article
  17. Article
  18. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors at 4 institutions in 1 country.

Melanie E MosesDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-8848-9554
Steven HofmeyrLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California, United States of America.
Judy L CannonDepartment of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0003-0069-8106
Akil AndrewsDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0001-6637-1582
Rebekah GridleyDepartment of Molecular Genetics and Microbiology, University of New Mexico School of Medicine, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
Monica HingaDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
Kirtus LeybaBiodesign Institute, Arizona State University, Tempe, Arizona, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-2360-8700
Abigail PribisovaDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-7462-9384
Vanessa SurjadidjajaDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.
Humayra TasnimDepartment of Computer Science, University of New Mexico, Albuquerque, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-7796-7717
Stephanie ForrestSanta Fe Institute, Santa Fe, New Mexico, United States of America.ORCID 0000-0002-5904-1646
University of New Mexico · USSanta Fe Institute · USArizona State University · USLawrence Berkeley National Laboratory · US

Funding

NM-INBRE Sequencing and Bioinformatics CoreP20GM103451 · NIGMS · NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY LAS CRUCES · PI Charlotte C. Gard · 2012 to 2026
$61.2M
Unfolded Protein Response and Autophagy in T Helper Cell Effector FunctionP20GM121176 · NIGMS · UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO HEALTH SCIS CTR · PI Monica Rosas Lemus · 2017 to 2026
$24.9M
NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM103451NIGMS NIH HHS P20 GM121176
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

A key question in SARS-CoV-2 infection is why viral loads and patient outcomes vary dramatically across individuals. Because spatial-temporal dynamics of viral spread and immune response are challenging to study in vivo, we developed Spatial Immune Model of Coronavirus (SIMCoV), a scalable computational model that simulates hundreds of millions of lung cells, including respiratory epithelial cells and T cells. SIMCoV replicates viral growth dynamics observed in patients and shows how spatially dispersed infections can lead to increased viral loads. The model also shows how the timing and strength of the T cell response can affect viral persistence, oscillations, and control. By incorporating spatial interactions, SIMCoV provides a parsimonious explanation for the dramatically different viral load trajectories among patients by varying only the number of initial sites of infection and the magnitude and timing of the T cell immune response. When the branching airway structure of the lung is explicitly represented, we find that virus spreads faster than in a 2D layer of epithelial cells, but much more slowly than in an undifferentiated 3D grid or in a well-mixed differential equation model. These results illustrate how realistic, spatially explicit computational models can improve understanding of within-host dynamics of SARS-CoV-2 infection.

Indexed as

Computer SimulationViral LoadCD8-Positive T-LymphocytesCOVID-19HumansLungSARS-CoV-2

Identifiers

PMID34941862
PMCPMC8740970
OpenAlexW4225342168

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC0
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.