Botox News and Research

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Botox is a drug made from a toxin produced by the bacterium Clostridium botulinum. It's the same toxin that causes a life-threatening type of food poisoning called botulism. Doctors use it in small doses to treat health problems, including, temporary removal of facial wrinkles, severe underarm sweating, cervical dystonia - a neurological disorder that causes severe neck and shoulder muscle contractions, blepharospasm - uncontrollable blinking, strabismus - misaligned eyes. Botox injections work by weakening or paralyzing certain muscles or by blocking certain nerves. The effects last about three to four months. Side effects can include pain at the injection site, flu-like symptoms, headache and upset stomach. Injections in the face may also cause temporary drooping eyelids. You should not use Botox if you are pregnant or breast feeding.

Researchers discover new type of botulinum neurotoxin from unexpected source

Researchers from the Quadram Institute have identified genes encoding a previously undiscovered version of the botulinum neurotoxin in bacteria from a cow's gut.

12 Jan 2018

TSRI scientists discover potential new therapy to stop deadly botulinum neurotoxin

Botulinum neurotoxin is probably best known to Americans as BOTOX, a cosmetic medicine, rather than as a cause of potentially dangerous foodborne illnesses.

26 May 2017

Sheffield Teaching Hospitals launches first of its kind laryngeal dystonia clinic in Yorkshire

PATIENTS living with a poorly understood chronic voice disorder which causes involuntary muscle spasms, impairing speech and swallowing, can now receive treatment nearer to home thanks to the launch of a specialist multidisciplinary clinic at Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust.

12 May 2017

Study provides evidence for antidepressant effects of ketamine

Better known as an anesthetic or as an illicit hallucinogenic drug, ketamine has also long been noted for alleviating depression. But ketamine has not been tested in a large clinical trial, and all evidence of its antidepressant effects has come from anecdotes and small studies of fewer than 100 patients.

3 May 2017

New report reveals costs related to surgical and minimally-invasive cosmetic procedures

A new report from the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS) reveals that Americans spent more than ever before - $16 billion - on cosmetic plastic surgery and minimally-invasive procedures in 2016.

12 Apr 2017

Scientists develop in vitro stem cell-based bioassay for detecting biological activity of BoNTs

Scientists at the Institute for Infectious Diseases, University of Bern have developed an in vitro stem cell-based bioassay grown on multi-electrode arrays capable of detecting the biological activity of Clostridium botulinum neurotoxins.

28 Feb 2017

Researchers discover natural regeneration process for scar-free skin repair

Scars are often the unwanted and permanent result of wound healing, but University of California, Irvine and University of Pennsylvania researchers have discovered a natural regeneration process that stimulates scar-free skin repair.

6 Jan 2017

New wearable electronic device could revolutionise treatment for stroke patients

Stroke patients are starting a trial of a new electronic device to recover movement and control of their hand.

19 Oct 2016

RTI extends research support to improve treatment for pelvic floor disorders in women

RTI International will continue supporting research efforts to improve clinical care for women with pelvic floor disorders as part of the Pelvic Floor Disorders Network.

6 Oct 2016

Scientist develops way to detect BoNT in biological samples

Many know Botox as a trendy way to get rid of wrinkles, but the popular drug — made from botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) — can do more than just fill lines.

23 Sep 2016

Special review highlights benefits of using botulinum neurotoxin for treating facial wrinkles

Botox and other botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) products are widely known for their use in treating facial wrinkles--but they can also be used to treat a wide range of non-cosmetic problems.

31 Aug 2016

Botulinum toxins may cause remote effects by moving between neurons

The botulinum toxins are among the deadliest substances on Earth, and two specific toxins — including the popular drug Botox — have multiple uses for treating many neuromuscular conditions, including frown lines, disabling muscle spasms and migraine headaches.

5 Aug 2016

Studies show how speaking French could significantly reduce symptoms of Benign Essential Blepharospasm

A fascinating new study published in the latest edition of Movements Disorders (Vol.00 No.00, 2016) presents two patient case studies that demonstrate how speaking French as a second language can significantly reduce the symptoms of a life-limiting eye condition, Benign Essential Blepharospasm (BEB).

17 May 2016

Scientists make breakthrough in understanding senses of touch and movement

Scientists investigating the little-understood senses of touch and movement have made a breakthrough that could eventually benefit people with movement disorders, spinal injuries, high blood pressure and even improve the design of robotics and prosthetics.

11 May 2016

Modified surgical technique may be effective treatment option for chronic temporal headache

A modified surgical technique may provide a simpler approach to the surgical treatment for one type of chronic headache, according to an "Ideas and Innovations" paper in the May issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

30 Apr 2016

New Botox-like treatment can help runners, cyclists with knee pain

A painful knee condition that affects more than one in eight active people has been treated effectively with a botulinum toxin injection and physiotherapy.

24 Feb 2016

Mayo Clinic researchers uncover clues to apraxia of speech

It may start with a simple word you can't pronounce. Your tongue and lips stumble, and gibberish comes out. Misspeaking might draw a chuckle from family and friends. But, then, it keeps happening. Progressively, more and more speech is lost. Some patients eventually become mute from primary progressive apraxia of speech, a disorder related to degenerative neurologic disease.

15 Feb 2016

Simple technique can prolong life of HA dermal fillers

Hyaluronic acid (HA) fillers are a popular treatment for facial lines and wrinkles, but early degradation of fillers may limit how long their effects last. Experimental evidence supports a simple technique for prolonging the effects of HA dermal fillers: using them together with botulinum toxin, reports a paper in the January issue of Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery, the official medical journal of the American Society of Plastic Surgeons (ASPS).

31 Dec 2015

Researchers use high-precision instrument to inject toxins that reduce migraine attacks

Researchers are using a high-precision instrument to inject toxins that alleviate migraine attacks. This means even better needle guidance and user-friendliness.

13 Oct 2015

FDA accepts Allergan's resubmission of BOTOX sBLA for treatment of adults with upper limb spasticity

Allergan plc, a leading global pharmaceutical company today announced that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration has accepted the company's resubmission of its Supplemental Biologics License Application (sBLA) for BOTOX (onabotulinumtoxinA) for the treatment of adults with lower limb (involving ankle and toe muscles) spasticity in adults.

20 Aug 2015