Botox: clinical applications and cosmetic use

¶ … organism produces botulinum toxin? Briefly describe this organism. Where did the name of the organism come from? Is the organism aerobic or anaerobic?

Botulinum toxin is produced by the anaerobic, rod-shaped Clostridium botulinum which is gram positive. The name was taken from the Latin word for "sausage" (i.e., "sausage poisoning") in the early 19th century.

How likely is it for a person to take dangerous/harmful levels of Botox? The author states that Botox has "an LD50 of 3,000U." Find out what this means and translate the phrase into common language. There are minimal chances of humans taking dangerous/harmful levels of Botox because of its large margin of safety as reflected by the LD50 of 3,000U rating.

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How does the botulinum toxin affect the neurons in the body? Explain in detail what the toxin does and why it would cause muscle paralysis. You may need to look at your neuromuscular junction notes to fully understand this question. These toxins operate by disrupting nerve impulse transmissions through the introduction of the acetylcholine neurotransmitter which originate in nerve terminals at the neuromuscular junction.

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Are the effects of botulinum toxin in the body permanent? Why or why not? The effects of botulinum toxin is reversible because previously inhibited terminal sprouts are replaced with new ones.

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Describe the early botulism research done by Dr. Kerner. What were his conclusions about the disease? The "sausage poisoning" reference relates to Dr. Kerner's early research which he conducted on himself (and lab animals) wherein he identified the mechanisms of the toxin, found that small doses could be deadly and even proposed therapeutic applications for the toxin.

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Describe the research done by Dr. van Ermengem. What were his conclusions about the disease? Besides botulism, Dr. van Ermengem's research also included cholera, tuberculosis and anthrax. This researcher concluded that there was a correlation between raw, salted pork and botulism.

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Describe the early research of the development of botulinum toxin as a possible biological weapon. Efforts to weaponized botulinum toxin during World War I failed and attempts to use the toxin during World War II were likewise unsuccessful.

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Ultimately, would the toxin make for a successful biological weapon? Why or why not? Despite its lethal qualities, the toxin lacks many of the attributes needed for an effective biological weapon, including the fact that mortality rates vary, it can be quickly inactivated through existing water sanitation methods, sufficient quantities must be ingested, it is not transmitted person-to-person and there are a number of efficacious treatments available.

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