Development and Analysis of a Nested Multiscale Model of Hepatitis B Viral Infection

Abstract

Hepatitis B remains a global health concern owing to its deadly nature. A Nested Multiscale
Model was developed by applying the Replication-Transmission Theory at the cell level of
biological organisation. A new set of measures to assess infectiousness at the individual and
community levels was presented at the biological organisation’s cell level, where we grounded
our analysis. These models make it possible to investigate the dynamics of the virus within
infected cells, as well as the dynamics of future cell infections and the discharge of the virus
from infected cells. To study quantitatively how the dynamics of within-cell replication affect
the dynamics of between-cell transmission, mathematical analysis and numerical simulations
were carried out. These simulations can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of treatment and
preventive interventions.