A new study said that Botulinum toxin, commonly known as Botox could offer an effective new treatment for two forms of neuropathy, pain caused by different types of nerve injury. The study appeared in Anesthesia & Analgesia.
Botulinum toxin is most familiar from the use of BoNT-A, commonly known by the trade name Botox, for cosmetic plastic surgery. Both BoNT-A and BoNT-B are used for treatment of various neuromuscular disorders. Over the past decade, BoNT-A has been successfully used to treat certain chronic pain syndromes. Since botulinum toxin causes temporary muscle paralysis, the pain-reducing effects have been attributed to muscle relaxation. Neuropathies are common and difficult-to-treat chronic pain problems.
University of California's experimental study found that treatment with botulinum toxin type B (BoNT-B) produces lasting reduction in abnormal pain responses caused by physical nerve injury or chemotherapy-related nerve damage in mice. The study shows differing effects of local versus spinal injection of botulinum toxin and lends new insights into the molecular-level explanations for how "Botox" works to affect pain processing. The findings add to previous studies suggesting that botulinum toxin could be a useful new approach to treating neuropathic pain. They aid in understanding BoNT's mechanisms of action in mononeuropathy versus polyneuropathy, as well as the differing effects of local and spinal injection.
Cellular-level studies showed that the two types of BoNT-B injection had differing effects in the pain-processing centers of the spinal cord. The results provided new insights into the specific molecular targets involved in local and intrathecal injection.
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