Advances in botulinum toxin type A for the treatment of pain

Clostridium botulinum (CB) is a Gram-positive anaerobic bacterium and a significant cause of food spoilage. Foodborne botulism occurs worldwide every year and even lead to death from respiratory distress in severe cases after eating botulism-contaminated food. The pathogenicity of CB lies in its ability to produce a potent neurotoxin, “botulinum toxin (BTX)”, for which eight different subtypes have already been isolated so far. Botulinum toxin type A (BTX-A) is widely used to treat critical clinical issues due to its good affinity and tolerability. Studies have shown that BTX-A injections effectively treat myofascial pain, inflammatory pain, and neuropathic pain. The current article mainly reviews the latest research progress using BTX-A in pain treatment during two years.