Scientists from Shimane University (Japan) have found that the effect of Botox can be prolonged with the help of drugs that block the functioning of a special protein on the surface of the structures between nerves and muscles. The research was published in the journal Cell Death and Disease.
Botulinum toxin-A, also known as Botox, is used not only in cosmetics but also in the treatment of a number of neuromuscular disorders such as spasms caused by cerebral palsy or paralysis, eye twitching and overactive bladder. The drug causes paralysis by blocking the transmission of signals at neuromuscular synapses (the connections between a neuron (brain cell) and a muscle fiber). However, since this effect is reversible, the effect only lasts for a few months.
In a new study, biologists discovered that blocking the functioning of a specific protein, insulin-like growth factor receptor 1 (IGF1R), slows the restoration of neuromuscular synapses. They successfully tested the injection of an IGF1R-specific antibody in mice. The drug prolonged the effect of botox injected into the animals’ calf muscles. Botox treatment in combination with antibodies against IGF1R can provide longer-term effects, reduce the number of injections required and reduce the cost of treatment.
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