Study on Nonlinear Dynamical Mechanisms of Antiviral Immune Cell Responses

Chen Yijia

School of Mathematics and Physics, Yuxi Normal University

Abstract：

The immune response during viral infection shows significant temporal and spatial variations, and it is difficult to explain phenomena such as viral clearance, persistent infection, periodic fluctuations, and local residue by relying solely on linear relationships. This paper analyzes the antiviral response of CD8 T cells under time-delay - diffusion coupling conditions from four levels: steady-state intervals, oscillatory transformation, spatial heterogeneity, and multisteady-state structure, to reveal the intrinsic connection between viral replication, effector response, cell migration, and feedback delay. The analysis shows that time delay alters the immune response rhythm, and diffusion reshapes the local control pattern, both of which jointly determine the system outcome.

Key Words：

CD8 T cells; viral infection; delay-diffusion coupling; nonlinear dynamics