Ordinary differential equation models of SARS-CoV-2 replication dynamics and antiviral drug efficacies
There is a critical need for precise analysis of virus-host interactions to improve our understanding of infection processes. The integration of quantitative measurements with dynamic mathematical modeling has changed how we perceive cellular infection processes, offering profound insights into how viruses function at the cellular level. Here, we systematically review target cell-limited (TCL) ordinary differential equation (ODE) models related to SARS-CoV-2. We examine the spectrum of available models from basic TCL frameworks to more complex models incorporating antiviral treatments-and highlight key findings, discuss strengths and limitations, and identify a shortage of comprehensive datasets, emphasizing structural identifiability issues.
Authors
- Luca D. Bertzbach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0698-5395)
- Lars Kaderali (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2359-2294)
- Stephanie Pfaender (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3957-5448)
- Simon T. Herrmann
- Timon Kapischke
Institutions
- Leibniz Institute of Virology (LIV) (DE)
- Universitätsmedizin Greifswald (DE)
- Universität Greifswald (DE)
- University of Lübeck (DE)
Publication Details
- Journal
- npj Viruses
- Published
- 2026-03-13
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1038/s44298-026-00183-8
- Primary Topic
- SARS-CoV-2 and COVID-19 Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- European Commission
- Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft
- Universität Greifswald
- HORIZON EUROPE Framework Programme