Anavex Life Sciences Corp (AVXL)

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Nerve conduits for disease.

Do CNS nerve fibers act as actual conductors of bacteria-infecting organ functions -doing damage in ways unstudied in current medical practice?

Are nerves actual conduits along which pass either viruses or bacteria?

On the face of it, no. There is no apparent mechanism for this transport to happen. In the blood, lymph and various organ systems, yes. Materials are readily transmitted through the circulatory system, through the gastrointestinal tract, the urinary tract, etc. But, along or through nerves? What might be the mechanism propelling this motion? Of course, nerve impulses flow through nerves, but those are essentially electronic; not transmissions of actual materials. Viruses and bacteria are material.

However, as apparent as the impossibility of material transport along nerves is, somehow, it may happen. Bacterial transport within nerves seems improbable, given the size of bacteria. But tiny viruses, either by simple diffusion or active cellular penetration, may be able to move along nerves.

If that happens, all sorts of neuropathologies could be induced. Are nerves able to both recognize and disable incursive viruses? Are the virions (individual viruses) in any way disabled, digested, or excreted before they replicate and cause problems? I invite the comments of someone who knows this virology. But it would certainly seem likely that the disabling, digestion, or excretion of virions in nerves would be a function of autophagy, the multitude of housekeeping (well, cell-keeping) processes by which cells effectively deal with wastes and extraneous chemicals. Keeping the cell clean, as it were.

Of course, it is now well-demonstrated that activation of the sigma-1 receptor protein by blarcamesine induces, restores, or supports autophagic processes. Malfunction of autophagic processes causes or supports a number of CNS pathologies; whereby blarcamesine is able to therapeutically address them. Might blarcamesine’s support of neuron autophagy thereby prevent the transmission of viruses along nerve paths? Very possible.

Of course, right now most of this is conjectural, not yet settled science. Soon enough, it will be. It becomes ever more apparent that effective activation of the sigma-1 receptor protein enables a widening diversity of consequent, favorable cell processes and outcomes — most of which are yet unstudied or properly characterized. In the coming years, Anavex Life Sciences Corp will be the center of sigma-1 receptor (“SIGMAR1”) biology. The company owns the most effective sigma-1 protein ligands and will continue to explore and discover their applications. Rett syndrome, Parkinson's disease dementia, and Alzheimer's are just the first three blarcamesine indications. Many more to come.