[Bridget Walker]

Digital twins, customised simulation models pioneered in industry, are beginning to gain ground in

medicine and healthcare, with some significant successes in cardiovascular diagnostics and insulin

pump control. Personalised computational models also assist in applications ranging from drug

development to patient-tailored treatment optimisation. Advanced medical digital twins will be

essential to make precision medicine a reality. Because the immune system plays a vital role in

such a wide range of diseases and health conditions, from fighting pathogens to autoimmune

disorders, digital twins of the immune system (IDTs) will have an exceptionally high impact.

However, their development presents significant challenges stemming from the immune system’s

inherent complexity and the difficulty in measuring many aspects of a patient’s immune state in

vivo. A collaborative interdisciplinary effort involving immunologists, clinicians, mathematical

modellers, and software engineers is required to achieve substantial progress.

The WG Building Immune Digital Twins aims to foster a network of collaborators and experts in all

relevant research areas. The ultimate goal of the WG is to help create a long-term interdisciplinary

immune digital twin community willing to take on the challenges of this exciting new field.

It is essential to understand that the field of medical digital twins is fundamentally new in its premise

and ambition. It is a crucial tool for the realisation of personalised medicine. While computational

modelling is an essential ingredient, it is far from the only one. However, it enables concrete steps

quickly, making it the main focus of this WG and community building. As the recent report by the

U.S. National Academies points out, it currently needs to be more challenging to distinguish what is

aspirational and authentic in the digital twin field. The report lays out several foundational problems

that need to be solved along the way, many related to the modelling component. This WG plans to

focus efforts on some of these.

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