Analyzing the Competition of HIV-1 Phenotypes with Quantum Game Theory

Abstract

HIV-1 (Human Immunodeficiency Virus) is a virus that causes AIDS (Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome), which damages the immune system by reducing people's resistance to infections and diseases. Antiretroviral treatment methods are based on drug designs developed using inhibitors that suppress the dynamics that enable the maturation of the virus. However, studies are needed to improve treatment methods against infection because HIV-1 is frequently mutated and mutant viruses develop resistance to the treatment used. Therefore, it is important to model the evolutionary development of the virus. For this purpose, the developmental process and spread of HIV-1 are modeled as a game with the players of phenotypes in this study. The related searches known to be made so far have been carried out based on the rules of classical physics. However, games of survival are being played on the molecular level, where the rules of quantum mechanics work. Since the HIV-1 game is being played on the molecular level, the behaviors of the virus phenotypes are examined from the perspective of quantum computation.