Botulinum toxin (Botox®) type A was developed by Alan Scott a Californian ophthalmologist who published first in 1980 the
Botox® injections into extra ocular muscles as an alternative treatment to strabismus surgery in children.
In 1984 the therapeutic indications of Botox® extent very quickly to the treatment of blepharospam (involuntary spasm of eye closure) and hemifacial spasm. Then
Botox® injections was shown to be efficient in the treatment of spasmodic torticollis (dystonic spasms of the neck muscles), spasmodic dysphonia (spasm of the vocal cords) and oro-mandibular dystonia (spasm of the jaw muscles).
Patients with asymmetry of the face, following facial palsy and patients with bruxism may also benefit from this treatment.
Recently, Botox® has been licensed for the treatment of hyper functional lines in particular the frown lines and for the treatment of hyperhidrosis (excessive sweating). Botox®
has recently in 2011 been licensed in th eUK for the treatment
of chronic migraines.
Botulinum toxin is a protein secreted by a bacterium, called Clostridium Botuli and purified to be use in therapeutics.
Botox® is composed by a heavy chain, which is responsible of the specific bindings on the cholinergic fibers endings and a light chain which is responsible of the enzymatic activity of the
Botox®. The limited action on cholinergic fibers due to this specific bindings is one of factors of safety of the
Botox®.
At the junction nerve-muscle there is a blockage of the release of acetylcholine, which is a chemical substance responsible for muscle contraction. |
