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news.Scientists have pinpointed exactly how botulinum neurotoxin A infiltrates cells. Botulinum neurotoxin A, more commonly known as botox, is a lethal toxin and a potential agent of biological warfare.
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The finding should help to light the way for development of new treatments against botulism, a paralytic illness caused by the toxin. As small amounts of botox are also known to alleviate many medical problems, the recent work could also help to quell any risks associated with the toxin’s clinical use.
Writing in the current online edition of Science, a team of researchers at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the University of Texas report that botox latches onto a protein known as SV2 to gain entry into neurons.
“Botulinum neurotoxins are among the six most dangerous bioterrorism threats,” said lead author Min Dong, a UW-Madison postdoctoral researcher in the department of physiology. “Knowing the protein receptor for [botulinum toxins] can pave the way for developing anti-toxin reagents which may block the entry of toxins into cells.”
The toxin enters neurons by binding to nerve endings and preventing the release of crucial chemical messengers, known as neurotransmitters, that communicate with muscles. When enough nerve endings are invaded, botox can lead to paralysis and death.