Scientists have developed a modified form of Botox that can provide long-term pain relief to patients with permanent nerve damage.
Botox is the brand name for muscle relaxants that are injected into the face in small doses to eliminate wrinkles. It is a protein made from botulinum toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum (C. botulinum).
While small doses of botulinum toxin are generally safe, using this protein in large amounts is dangerous and can temporarily paralyze muscles.
Scientists from the United Kingdom and the United States have designed a modified Botox to relieve pain without causing paralysis or causing harmful side effects.
The effects of modified Botox, like cosmetic products, can last up to five months, although it has not been tested in humans.
The team said that their study, published in the journal Life Science Alliance, could help provide relief for those who have trouble coping with chronic pain, as currently available drugs are limited to serious side effects.
And drugs like morphine and fentanyl can only be used as short-term pain relievers because of the risk of addiction, abuse, and overdose associated with long-term use.
Dr Maria Mayaro, from the University of Reading, said: “People with chronic pain need new options to manage their symptoms. They need safer and more effective drugs. These new botulinum molecules are effective in reducing pain-like behaviors in human disease models. .” … We believe this approach could pave the way for the development of pain therapy to improve the quality of life for millions of people with chronic pain.”
Scientists from the Universities of Sheffield and Reading, University College London (UCL) and the US-based biopharmaceutical company Neuresta have developed a new way to regenerate Botox using elements from the bacterium Clostridium botulinum.
The team said it split Botox into two separate parts and recreated an “expanded” version.
The team found that when tested on mice, this modified Botox was non-toxic and did not cause paralysis.
Professor Pazbek Davletov, from the School of Biological Sciences at the University of Sheffield, said: “At present, pain relievers can only temporarily relieve chronic pain and often have undesirable side effects. A single non-immobilizing inhibitor injection at the site of pain can reduce pain.” relief, pain in people that lasts for months, and that needs to be assessed now.”
“We hope that the drug designed can improve the quality of life of millions of people around the world with chronic diseases.”
The results of the research led to the technology being transferred to the US biopharmaceutical company Neuresta, which is currently adapting nerve blockers for various neurological conditions using this technology.
Source: Independent
Source: Arabic RT
