Therapeutic Applications of Botulinum Neurotoxins in Veterinary Medicine

SIMPLE SUMMARY: Botulinum neurotoxins have been considered for therapeutic effects in different animal species and for several conditions. However, a review of the reports and the identification of the research priorities in this field is still lacking. This study provides an overview of the current knowledge on the characteristics and the mechanism of action of the available botulinum neurotoxin formulations applied in veterinary medicine, identifying critical issues and research gaps. Overall, the literature largely supports the beneficial activity of such toxins to manage pain and to treat a variety of dystonias and highlights the need for additional research. ABSTRACT: Botulinum neurotoxins (BoNTs) are emerging as multipurpose therapeutic compounds for the treatment of several different syndromes involving peripheral and central nervous systems, and muscular and musculoskeletal disorders both in human and veterinary medicine. Therefore, the study of BoNTs is rapidly developing and identifying newly produced BoNT variants. Efforts should be made to clarify the biological and pharmacological characteristics of these novel BoNTs as well as the natural ones. The high potential of BoNTs as a therapeutic compound for medical syndromes lies in its ability to reach a specific cell type while bypassing other cells, thus having mild or no side effects. In this paper the recent developments in BoNTs are reviewed with the aim of analyzing the current knowledge on BoNTs’ biological mechanisms of action, immunogenicity, formulations, and therapeutic applications in the veterinary field, highlighting advantages and drawbacks and identifying the gaps to be filled in order to address research priorities.