Swiss researchers accidentally enhance effects of Botox
Botox is used to treat a number of conditions, including stomach cancer.
Keystone / Z1004/_peer Grimm
Swiss researchers have stumbled upon the means to supercharge Botox, as they were carrying out experiments designed to dampen the effects of the neurotoxin.
This content was published on
3 minutes
Keystone-SDA
Español
es
Investigadores suizos potencian accidentalmente los efectos del Botox
The research project was looking for ways to inhibit the effects of Botox, according to a statement from the Paul Scherrer Institute (PSI) on Monday.
PSI researchers developed proteins that dock onto the part of the enzyme that is responsible for its effect on the nerves. This technique was intended to act as a suppressant.
To the researchers’ surprise, however, the opposite happened: the toxic effect began even faster than usual, as a report published on Monday in the journal “Nature Communications” showed. “We initially thought we had done something wrong,” study lead author Oneda Leka was quoted as saying in the PSI announcement.
Botulinum toxin A1, or Botox for short, gained notoriety through its use as a cosmetic aid. However, Botox is also used in therapeutic medicine, as the PSI emphasised.
For example, to treat pain, spasticity or bladder weakness. Even in stomach cancer, Botox is used to block the vagus nerve and thus slow tumor growth.
Botox works by breaking down certain proteins that are important for nerve signal transmission. In the research project, the researchers artificially produced small proteins, so-called DARPin, which were intended to function similarly to antibodies and dock to the part of the protein that is responsible for cutting up other proteins.
“In vitro – i.e. in the test tube on individual samples – we have also identified a suitable DARPin candidate that curbs the function of botulinum toxin,” said study leader Richard Kammerer.
However, in experiments in the laboratory and later in mouse muscles, the opposite occurred. The researchers explain this by saying that the DARPin actually destabilises the toxin in such a way that it is transported more quickly into the interior of the nerve cell.
But this is not bad news, the researchers emphasised: Botox, for example, could relieve pain more quickly than before.
This news story has been written and carefully fact-checked by an external editorial team. At SWI swissinfo.ch we select the most relevant news for an international audience and use automatic translation tools such as DeepL to translate it into English. Providing you with automatically translated news gives us the time to write more in-depth articles. You can find them here.
If you want to know more about how we work, have a look here, and if you have feedback on this news story please write to english@swissinfo.ch.
External Content
Your subscription could not be saved. Please try again.
Almost finished… We need to confirm your email address. To complete the subscription process, please click the link in the email we just sent you.
What do you think Switzerland’s Alain Berset can bring to the Council of Europe?
The former interior minister is to become the first Swiss Secretary General of the Council of Europe – which issues should his five-year term focus on?
How is your country dealing with the return of stolen artifacts?
Western nations like Switzerland often have to deal with the process of recovering or returning looted artifacts which have been illegally imported. What’s the situation like in your country?
Spread of Japanese beetle leads to lawn-watering bans in Basel
This content was published on
Basel City authorities have extended an infestation zone with strict guidelines to a good third of the canton’s territory, they said on Friday.
Bad weather forces closure of many Swiss hiking trails
This content was published on
Around 620 hiking trails in Switzerland are still closed due to the bad weather this summer, with the canton of Valais particularly hard hit, Swiss public radio, RTS, reports.
This content was published on
The two cities have beaten Zurich and Bern onto the shortlist to host the Eurovision Song Contest in May 2025, the Swiss Broadcasting Corporation (SBC) said on Friday.
This content was published on
While construction expenditure in Switzerland rose by 0.3% in nominal terms last year, the price-adjusted situation shows a 2.5% decrease, according to the Federal Statistical Office (FSO).
Another body found in southern Switzerland after June storms
This content was published on
A body was found in the Maggia river in the southern Swiss canton of Ticino on Thursday, police said. It is “likely” to be the sixth victim of devastating storms which hit the region at the end of June.
Swiss helicopter rescue pioneers safe autopilot approach system
This content was published on
Swiss air rescue company Rega has received approval for a new kind of instrument flight system for approaching a hospital.
You can find an overview of ongoing debates with our journalists here . Please join us!
If you want to start a conversation about a topic raised in this article or want to report factual errors, email us at english@swissinfo.ch.