Viruses blood-brain barrier transport

Iron is more toxic than is commonly believed large oral doses of ferrous sulfate cause hepatic necrosis in Man within 48 hours (Luongo and Bjornson, 1954). The toxic action of encephalomyelitis virus, which is rich in iron, has been ascribed to viral transport of this metal across the blood-brain barrier which is normally impervious to it (Racker and Krimsky, 1947). 

Compounds such as EDTA had long been used in horticulture to assist the growth of fruit trees and iron-fastidious plants, such as rhododendrons, on alkaline soil. When Packer and Krimsky (1947) ascribed the toxic action of the encephalomyelitis virus to it having the ability to transport iron across the blood-brain barrier which is normally impervious to the metal, Willson (1982) held a decom-partmentalisation and ill-placement of iron responsible for free radical damage causing its carcinogenicity. 

Nalca A, Livingston VA, Garza NL et al (2010) Experimental infection of cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) with aerosolized monkeypox virus. PLoS One 5(el) 2880 Pardridge WM (2012) Drug transport across the blood-brain barrier. J Cereb Blood Flow Metab 32 1959-1972... 

Banks WA, Freed EO, Wolf KM, Robinson SM, Franko M, Kiunar VB. Transport of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 pseudoviruses across the blood-brain barrier role of envelope proteins and adsorptive endocytosis. / Virol. 2001 75(10) 4681 91. 

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