How a variation on Botox could be used to treat pain
Drugs made with botulinum toxin may offer an alternative to opioids, a study in mice finds
Painkillers crafted with a part of the wrinkle-smoothing drug Botox provide long-term pain relief in mice.
Researchers added the modified Botox to molecules that target pain-messaging nerve cells. Mice given a single spinal injection of the new drugs showed signs of pain relief for the full duration of the experiments, around three weeks, researchers report online July 18 in Science Translational Medicine. Such painkillers could potentially one day be developed for humans as alternatives to more addictive drugs, such as opioids.