Modeling the Chagas’ disease after stem cell transplantation

Abstract

A recent model for Chagas’ disease after stem cell transplantation is extended for a three-dimensional multi-agent-based model. The computational model includes six different types of autonomous agents: inflammatory cell, fibrosis, cardiomyocyte, proinflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor-α, Trypanosoma cruzi, and bone marrow stem cell. Only fibrosis is fixed and the other types of agents can move randomly through the empty spaces using the three-dimensional Moore neighborhood. Bone marrow stem cells can promote apoptosis in inflammatory cells, fibrosis regression and can differentiate in cardiomyocyte. T. cruzi can increase the number of inflammatory cells. Inflammatory cells and tumor necrosis factor-α can increase the quantity of fibrosis. Our results were compared with experimental data giving a fairly fit and they suggest that the inflammatory cells are important for the development of fibrosis.