Work

Spatio–temporal modelling of in vitro influenza A virus infection: The impact of defective interfering particles on the type I interferon response

Year: 2026

Type: article

Abstract: Defective interfering particles (DIPs) are incomplete viral genomes that modulate infection by competing with wild-type viruses and activating the innate immune response. Activation of the immune response leads to the production of cytokines and chemokines, including type I interferon (IFN), which restricts viral growth and may cause cell death. How DIPs interact with type I interferon (IFN) in spatially structured environments remains unclear. Focusing here on influenza A viruses, we developed a spatially explicit, stochastic model of in vitro viral infection that integrates virus and DIP replication, IFN signalling, and alternative dispersal modes. We find that: (1) our model captures the ring-like and patchy plaque morphologies observed experimentally; (2) IFN production peaks at an intermediate DIP ratio, reflecting a trade-off between early immune activation and sufficient co-infection; and (3) even a small fraction of long-range spread by virus and DIPs enables escape from the immune-based containment despite long-range IFN diffusion; this causes stronger antiviral responses but earlier peaks in virus egress at similar levels of cell loss. The model is available as an interactive platform: https://shiny-spatial-infection-app-production.up.railway.app/.

Source: PLoS Computational Biology

DOI: 10.1371/journal.pcbi.1014198

Authors: Yimei Li, Bjarke Frost Nielsen, Simon A. Levin, Aartjan J.W. te Velthuis, Bryan T. Grenfell

Institutions: Princeton University, High Meadows Environmental Institute

Language: English

Topic: Influenza Virus Research Studies

Subfield: Epidemiology

Field: Medicine

Domain: Health Sciences

SDG: Good health and well-being

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $3,043