Fast axonal transport is the route by which herpes viruses and rabies viruses make their way from axon terminals near skin cuts to nerve cell bodies, where they can multiply and cause their damage.
The toxin produced by tetanus bacteria reaches the CNS by the same route. The time delay between the release of the toxin and the first appearance of symptoms is, in part, due to the time required for movement of the toxin to the cell body.
This is why a tetanus-prone injury of the head or neck or a bite in this region by a rabid dog, bat or other animal. is a more serious matter than a similar injury in an extremity. The closer to the brain, the shorter the transit time, and the faster must be the treatment to prevent the disease.
Viruses that are able to hop aboard the fast axonal transport system may become a tool for treating genetic disorders of the CNS.
Through the techniques of genetic engineering, scientists can insert corrective genes into a viral messenger, and they can also disable potentially harmful viral genes. Studies in process will reveal if good copies of defective genes can be shuttled into a person's CNS by viruses without adverse side effects.
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