A study published in The European Molecular Biology Organization Journal has shed new light on how botulinum toxin is able to infiltrate neurons in the brain.
The study found that botulinum neurotoxin type-A utilises a small complex formed by a receptor named Synaptotagmin 1, alongside two other clostridial neurotoxin receptors, to enter synaptic vesicles in neurons. This infiltration is what interrupts nerve-to-muscle communication, leading to the muscle paralysis desired in aesthetic treatments.
Researchers Professor Frederic Meunier and Dr Merja Joensuu at the University of Queensland’s Brain Institute commented, “Now we know how this complex allows the toxin internalisation, we can block interactions between any two of the three receptors to stop the deadly toxins from getting into neurons. We now have a full picture of how these toxins are internalised to intoxicate neurons at therapeutically relevant concentrations.”
It is thought that the study’s findings could help lead to new therapeutic targets for botulism treatments.
