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Brain targeting through the autonomous nervous system: lessons from prion diseases
Stépahne Haïk1, Baptiste A Faucheux, Jean-Jacques Hauw
1Raymond Escourelle Neuropathology Laboratory, INSERM U360, Salpêtrière Hospital, Paris, France. haik@chups.jussieu.fr
Trends in Molecular Medicine
|April 27, 2004
Summary
Prions, infectious agents causing neurodegeneration, reach the central nervous system (CNS) via sympathetic nerve pathways. This occurs after initial replication in lymphoid tissues, particularly following peripheral exposure like consuming contaminated food.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Infectious Diseases
- Pathology
Background:
- The central nervous system (CNS) is protected by the blood-brain barrier, which pathogens can bypass through various routes.
- Prions are unique infectious agents responsible for fatal neurodegenerative diseases.
- Understanding prion neuroinvasion is crucial for preventing and treating prion diseases.
Purpose of the Study:
- To elucidate the specific pathways prions utilize to enter the CNS following peripheral exposure.
- To provide converging evidence from recent studies on prion neuroinvasion mechanisms.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of prion trafficking pathways into the CNS.
- Investigating the role of neuronal transport in prion neuroinvasion.
- Examining early prion replication sites in lymphoid tissues.
Main Results:
- Peripheral prion transmission involves early replication in lymphoid tissues.
- Prions utilize sympathetic noradrenergic neurons to access the CNS.
- Converging evidence supports a specific neuroanatomical route for prion entry.
Conclusions:
- Sympathetic noradrenergic neurons are a key pathway for prion neuroinvasion from the periphery to the CNS.
- This pathway is critical following oral or other peripheral routes of prion exposure.
- Further research into this pathway could inform therapeutic strategies against prion diseases.