Figure 1

An overview of the multiple time and length scales involved with understanding cancer immunotherapy. Five subsystems are shown that each represent a limited range of time and length scales and are named after the basic functional unit: peptide, protein, cell, organ, and patient. Within each subsystem, knowledge about behavior of a particular subsystem is inferred from observed data, as depicted by the red arrows, and prior information, as depicted by the blue arrows that enter each subsystem box. Each experimental assay has an intrinsic length and time scale and thus inform the corresponding subsystem. Prior information for interpreting data within a subsystem can be obtained from a summary of the dynamics of subsystem with shorter time and length scales. This summary of the dynamics may take the form of equilibrium values or population-based averages.