In its latest study, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) has determined that the dreaded HIV virus actually starts its warpath against the body in the human gut.

The reason? A protein called gp120 in the HIV sheath readily binds with integrin alpha 4 beta 7 on CD4+ T-cells in the human gut. In essence, this means that the virus easily enters and destroys the guard cells in our bellies.

The breakdown of these immune cells in the gut, as you may guess, leads to a lot of other dangerous complications. Without the body's natural defenses, it becomes easy pickings for other pathogens which normally do not threaten our health.

"The ability of a particular virus to bind to integrin alpha 4 beta 7 may determine whether it will have a major impact in targeting the gut lymphoid tissue," explains Dr. Anthony Fauci. "This finding could be a significant determinant in the pathogenic mechanisms that lead to AIDS."

Past researches have unraveled the ability of the HIV virus to bind itself to healthy immune cells and stay hidden to survive, all the while prolonging the lives of its host cells. From there, the virus replicates and is carried off to different body parts where it does more damage.

The researchers at NIAID hope that their new discovery will prove instrumental in the fight against HIV and AIDS. Significant breakthroughs have been made in the research field, but a cure still eludes the medical community.