Axonal Transport

Axonal Transport describes the bidirectional intracellular movement of organelles, proteins, vesicles, and signalling molecules along neuronal microtubule networks using motor proteins, enabling neurons to supply distal axon terminals with locally synthesised materials and return damaged components for degradation in the cell body.

The biopharmaceutical industry studies axonal transport in neurological disease research and CNS drug delivery. Impaired axonal transport contributes to neurodegeneration in Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, representing a therapeutic target for neuroprotective strategies. Some viruses and toxins exploit retrograde axonal transport reaching neuronal cell bodies. Intranasal drug delivery to the brain may exploit olfactory neuron axonal transport pathways. Understanding axonal transport mechanisms informs design of neurotropic gene therapy vectors and development of neuroprotective therapeutics addressing transport dysfunction underlying progressive neuronal loss in degenerative diseases.