New research on Botox

Study suggests toxin migrates
to other muscles

By Don McSwiney

New research in the Faculty of Kinesiology suggests that Botox—Botulinium type-A toxin—passes easily to surrounding muscles and is more difficult to control once injected than previously thought.

The research team is led by Walter Herzog, who received the American Society of Biomechanists’ highest honour for research last year. He says the results have relevance for consumers and physicians who use Botox.

“We are, of course, working with animals so our findings are not directly transferable,” says Herzog. “However, the injection doses used in this study are similar to those used in human injection protocols for the soleus muscle, both for spastic cerebral palsy in children and hemi-plegic adults secondary to stroke.”

Herzog’s lab was trying to use the product in ongoing research that examines how muscle weakness contributes to joint degeneration. The idea was to use botulinium toxin as an agent to temporarily paralyze muscles. What they found is that the toxin they used passed easily into the surrounding muscles and weakened all the muscles in the area.

“The main reason that this is significant is that many people believe that when Botox is injected into a single muscle it stays there,” says Herzog. “This research shows that it is not that easy to control. As therapeutic applications of BTX-A in humans increase, it is important that we understand more about the functional effects of this product which, at the end of the day, is a toxin.”

The research was accepted by the Journal of Biomechanics last November but has not yet been printed.