Optimal Intervention Methods for Markovian Gene Regulatory Networks

Abstract

A central problem in translational medicine is to provide a framework for deriving and studying effective intervention methods to elicit desired steady-state behavior for a gene regulatory network of interest with Markovian dynamics. Heretofore, two rather different external control approaches have been taken. The first optimizes a subjectively defined cost function while modeling treatment constraints; therefore, desirable shift of the steady-state mass is a by-product. The second approach, on the other hand, focuses solely on the steady-state behavior of the network and provides the maximal shift achievable. Although both approaches are optimal with respect to their objectives, the choice of which to use depends on the treatment goals.