Rabies “Hijacks” Neurons to Attack the Brain

 Rabies causes acute inflammation of the brain, producing psychosis and violent aggression. The virus, which paralyzes the body’s internal organs, is always deadly for those unable to obtain vaccines in time. Some 55,000 people die from rabies every year.

For the first time, Tel Aviv University [TAU] scientists have discovered the exact mechanism this killer virus uses to efficiently enter the central nervous system, where it erupts in a toxic explosion of symptoms. “Rabies not only hijacks the nervous system’s machinery, it also manipulates that machinery to move faster,” said Dr. Perlson, one of the TAU researchers.

To track the rabies virus in the nervous system, the researchers grew mouse sensory neurons in an observation chamber and used live cell imaging to track the path taken by the virus particles. The researchers “saw” the virus hijack the “train” transporting cell components along a neuron and drive it straight into the spinal cord. Once in the spinal cord, the virus caught the first available train to the brain, where it wrought havoc before speeding through the rest of the body, shutting it down organ by organ.

“A tempting premise is to use this same machinery to introduce drugs or genes into the nervous system,” Dr. Perlson added. By shedding light on how the virus hijacks the transport system in nerve cells to reach its target organ, the researchers hope their findings will allow scientists to control the neuronal transport machinery to treat rabies and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Disruptions of the neuron train system also contribute to neurodegenerative diseases, like Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). According to Dr. Perlson, “An improved understanding of how the neuron train works could lead to new treatments for these disorders as well”.