A new study in the UK suggests that HIV spreads through the body like a computer virus, and it could help researchers figure out better ways to treat HIV to keep AIDS from developing.

Scientists at University College London have created a model for HIV progression that indicates that HIV typically spreads via the bloodstream or directly between cells, similar to how computer worms tend to spread through the Internet in an attempt to infect as many computers as possible, according to a Medical News Today report.

This progression model can help predict the progression of HIV to AIDS in patients. Sample data from 17 London patients verified the model, known as “hybrid spreading,” which can help explain HIV progression and create new methods for early treatment.

HIV works by infecting what are known as CD4+ T cells, which are used by the immune system and protect the body from diseases. HIV reduces the number of active T cells in the body until the immune system stops functioning as it should, resulting in what is known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS).

The model shows that HIV cannot be spread via the bloodstream alone, which means that HIV probably gains a foothold in a place with a high T cell population, like the gut, and began to transfer itself from cell to cell.

In fact, it was HIV that inspired the 2008 Conficker computer worm, which infected military and police networks across Europe and still pops up today.

The Conficker worm is similar to HIV in that they both use hybrid spreading mechanisms.

The new model could help scientists assess the effectiveness of drugs used against different modes of HIV in patients, and it could be quite valuable in interpreting the results of drug trials.