New findings by HIV specialists and network security experts at the University College London, UK suggest that the method that HIV spreads through the body mimics that of how computer worms spread to infect multiple computers and that ultimately HIV should be treated earlier to stave off AIDS.

Share on Pinterest The way HIV spreads is similar to how computer worms spread through both the Internet and local networks to infect as many computers as possible.

The experts at University College London (UCL) have created a new model for HIV progression. From this model they noticed that HIV spreads through the body using two methods:

Via the bloodstream Directly between cells.

This method is similar to how computer worms spread through both the Internet and local networks to infect as many computers as possible.

The new HIV progression model for this “hybrid spreading” accurately predicts patients’ progression from HIV to AIDS in a major clinical trial.

Detailed sample data from 17 London-based patients were used to verify the model, indicating that “hybrid spreading” provides the most suitable explanation for HIV progression and highlights the benefits of early treatment.

HIV infects CD4+ T cells – the cells that play a vital role in the immune system and protect us from diseases. As HIV advances, the number of active T cells in the body reduces until the immune system can no longer function properly – a state known as “acquired immune deficiency syndrome” or AIDS.

The World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines recommend that HIV treatment should only commence once the number of T cells in the bloodstream fall below a certain level. However, UCL’s model forecasts that treatment should begin as soon as possible after infection to prevent AIDS from developing in the long term.

“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,” explains co-senior author Prof. Benny Chain, UCL Infection and 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.” He continues: