Scientists modify BOTOX for the treatment of pain

Modified Botox could be used for the treatment of chronic pain and epilepsy A single injection could relieve pain for months Research could improve the quality of life for people who suffer from chronic pain conditions - Scientists have manufactured a new bio-therapeutic molecule that could be used to treat neurological disorders such as chronic pain and epilepsy. A team of 22 scientists from 11 research institutes led by Professor Bazbek Davletov, now at the University of Sheffield, created and characterised a new molecule that was able to alleviate hypersensitivity to inflammatory pain. The work is featured on the cover of the October 2013 issue of the scientific journal Bioconjugate Chemistry. Professor Bazbek Davletov joined the Department of Biomedical Science in September last year from the Medical Research Council's Laboratory of Molecular Biology in Cambridge, where his team developed a new way of joining and rebuilding molecules. By using elements of Clostridium botulinum and Clostridium tetani neurotoxins, commonly known as Botox and tetanus toxin respectively, the scientists were able to develop a molecule with new biomedical properties, without unwanted toxic effects. While the Botox element is able to block neuronal communication - and therefore pain signals - for months, the tetanus component targets the central nervous system very effectively. The combination of the two elements is of great interest for neuroscience and can be applied to the treatment of several neurological disorders, particularly chronic pain conditions and epilepsy.