Modeling cytokine regulatory network dynamics driving neuroinflammation in central nervous system disorders

A central goal of pharmacological efforts to treat central nervous system (CNS) diseases is to develop systemic therapeutics. This requires a fundamental understanding of CNS function within the organismal context. The immune system constitutes a key link between the periphery and CNS, and many neurological disorders and neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by immune dysfunction. We review the salient opportunities for applying computational models to CNS disease research, and summarize relevant approaches from previous studies. While the accurate prediction of disease-related phenomena is often considered the central goal of modeling efforts, we highlight the utility of computational modeling applications beyond making predictions, particularly for drawing counterintuitive insights from model-based analysis of multi-parametric and time series data sets.