Recent insights into poliovirus pathogenesis

[Wise Young]

Trends in Microbiology
Recent insights into poliovirus pathogenesis [Review]
Seii Ohka and Akio Nomoto
Trends in Microbiology, 2001, 9:10:501-506


Abstract

The development of a mouse model for poliomyelitis that is transgenic for the human poliovirus receptor (hPVR) has made it much easier to investigate the efficiency of the viral dissemination process in a whole organism. These studies have given an insight into the mechanisms of blood-brain barrier permeation and neural transport. Strain-specific neurovirulence levels, however, appear to depend mainly on the replicating capacity of the virus in the central nervous system rather than the dissemination efficiency. Studies of the poliovirus-induced cytopathic effects on neural cells and specific subcellular localization of hPVR isoforms might determine a new course of investigation of poliovirus pathogenesis.