Fig. 2: the potential effect of enterovirus (EV) infections in neural cells and its impact on developing neurodegenerative diseases (NDs). (A) After gaining access to the central nervous system (CNS), EV infects neural cells, leading to different alterations in cell processes and decreasing the number of neurons. (B) EV infection could stimulate neural cells to produce amyloid proteins as defense mechanisms, wrapping and neutralising the virus. These amyloid proteins constitute the amyloid plaques, which activate microglia releasing pro-inflammatory cytokines. (C) The blood-brain barrier (BBB) can be disturbed from outside the brain via peripheral inflammatory mediators and dysbiosis, as well as from within the brain by the mediators generated by neural cells that have been stimulated by EV infections.