PTPRS mediates invasion of tetanus neurotoxin into the central nervous system.

PTPRS is identified as the host receptor mediating tetanus neurotoxin (TeNT) entry into the central nervous system in mouse models.

• Why it matters: Understanding how TeNT invades the CNS is crucial for developing interventions against tetanus and for targeted drug delivery, as the host factors involved remain largely unknown.
• What they did: The study used pull-down, mass spectrometry, and a luciferase-based in vivo transport assay to identify PTPRS as the retrograde transport receptor for TeNT, with knockout models confirming its essential role.
• The result: Disrupting TeNT-PTPRS interactions prevents toxin entry into the CNS and induces botulism-like paralysis, highlighting PTPRS as a potential target for therapeutic intervention.