title: The story of Clostridium botulinum: from food poisoning to Botox.
abstract: In the last fifty years, Clostridium botulinum has become notorious for its ability to produce the deadly botulinum neurotoxins. While botulinum toxin A, better known as Botox, is universally recognised by the public as a cosmetic enhancement tool, the botulinum neurotoxins are commonly used off-label for many medical conditions in ophthalmology, neurology and dermatology. The versatility of these botulinum toxins has made Clostridium botulinum one of the most widely known bacterial pathogens in medical history. This article outlines the discovery of botulinum toxins through to their present day applications in medicine.
authors.affiliation: University of Calgary Medical School, Canada. patriciating33@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Patricia T
authors.initials: PT
authors.lastname: Ting
authors.forename: Anatoli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Freiman
mesh_terms: D001694:Biological Warfare; D001905:Botulinum Toxins / Q000266:history* / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001906:Botulism / Q000266:history; D049671:History, 18th Century; D049672:History, 19th Century; D049673:History, 20th Century; D006801:Humans
chemical_list: D001905:Botulinum Toxins