Integrating Molecular Pathogenesis and Host Response into a Digital Twin Framework for Predicting Therapeutic Outcomes in <i>Balamuthia mandrillaris</i> Encephalitis
Balamuthia mandrillaris is a free-living amoeba that causes granulomatous amoebic encephalitis, a rare but devastating central nervous system infection with mortality exceeding 95%. Treatment relies on empirical, multidrug regimens lasting several months, yet prognostic indicators and optimal dosing strategies remain undefined. Advances in computational biology now permit the creation of digital twins, data-driven and patient-specific virtual replicas that integrate clinical, imaging, molecular, and pharmacological data to simulate disease dynamics and therapeutic response. By incorporating molecular mechanisms of Balamuthia pathogenesis and host susceptibility into such a model, it becomes possible to forecast treatment trajectories, personalize drug dosing, and predict toxicity in real time. This paper outlines the molecular and immunological underpinnings of Balamuthia infection and proposes a digital twin framework that bridges mechanistic biology with predictive analytics to improve management and survival in this neglected infection.
Authors
- Ruqaiyyah Siddiqui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9646-6208)
- Naveed Ahmed Khan
- Sutherland K. Maciver
Institutions
- University of Derby (GB)
- Heriot-Watt University Malaysia (MY)
- Department of Physics, Mathematics and Informatics (BY)
- Istinye University (TR)
- The Queen's Medical Research Institute (GB)
- University of Edinburgh (GB)
Publication Details
- Journal
- ACS Omega
- Published
- 2026-03-26
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.5c11417
- Primary Topic
- Legionella and Acanthamoeba research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00