HIV Spreads In The Human Body Like Malwares Integrate A Computer

If you believe you could be at risk for HIV, it's best to get tested as soon as possible so you can start a treatment plan.

New research conducted by officials that University of College London shows that the virus spreads through the body similarly to the way a virus infects a computer. It goes through the bloodstream and directly between the cells, like computer worms move through the Internet and into local networks. As this happens in such a short span of time, it's important to get the right treatment right away.

Researchers worked to create a model of the type of "hybrid spreading" to view the infection of the progression into AIDS. They took samples from 17 patients who were infected with the virus, showing signs that it had spread throughout the body.

"Our model enables us to explain these important properties and to predict the infection process," said lead study author Changwang Zhang, in a news release.

As HIV CD4+ T-cells are depleted in the body, cells that are crucial to the immune system in the prevention of the disease, the body begins to lose its ability to fight off infection, illness and function, overall. Current World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend patients diagnosed with HIV just start treatment when T-cell counts fall past a certain level. Yet these findings suggest that prompt care is important to health and wellness following diagnosis.

"The number of HIV cells in the bloodstream is always relatively low, and our model shows that HIV spread through the bloodstream alone would not be enough to cause AIDS," added co-senior author Professor Benny Chain (UCL Infection & Immunity). "It is likely that when HIV gains a foothold somewhere with a high T-cell population, such as the gut, it uses a cell-to-cell transfer mechanism to efficiently spread directly between them. As such, if HIV has already spread to an area rich in T-cells by the time treatment begins, preventing its spread through the bloodstream will not stop AIDS. Our model suggests that completely blocking cell-to-cell transfer would prevent progression to AIDS, highlighting the need to develop new treatments."

More information regarding the findings can be seen via the journal PLOS Computational Biology.