Primary resistance of human patients to botulinum neurotoxins A and B

Ann Clin Transl Neurol. 2018 Jul 17;5(8):971-975. doi: 10.1002/acn3.586. eCollection 2018 Aug.

Abstract

Botulinum neurotoxin serotypes A and B are successfully used to treat a variety of human diseases characterized by hyperactive peripheral nerve terminals. However, a number of patients are primary resistant to these pharmaceuticals, without having antitoxin-neutralizing antibodies. A straightforward explanation of this phenomenon posits that mutations of the toxin sites of interaction with their receptors or protein substrates prevent their neuroparalytic action. After a careful investigation of available human genomic databases, we conclude that it is very unlikely that humans are resistant to these two therapeutic neurotoxins because of mutations that would affect their binding or intracellular proteolytic actions.

Grants and funding

This work was funded by CNR grant .