Analysis and simulation of a delayed HIV model with reaction–diffusion and sliding control

Selection of an appropriate therapy threshold to restrain the virus load is still challenging on structured treatment interruptions (STIs) for HIV. In this paper, we ponder that how the sliding control and multistability to regulate the treatment effect through comprehensive dynamics of a virus-immune model. Firstly, based on piecewise therapy, we propose a delayed reaction–diffusion virus-immune model under the homogeneous Neumann boundary condition. Secondly, the existence and stabilities of five kinds of equilibria as well as the direction and stability of spatial Hopf bifurcation at regular equilibrium are investigated. Thirdly, the sliding domain and the boundary node bifurcations are addressed by theoretical analysis. Finally, we appraise the effects of therapy threshold, sliding domain and multistability on HIV therapy by simulations, and further seek out the appropriate therapy threshold for infected patients with given physiological parameters and present the corresponding principles. Our explorations will provide evidence for HIV and other disease therapies.