Neurotoxins Acting at Synaptic Sites: A Brief Review on Mechanisms and Clinical Applications
Kunming Zhou,
Weifeng Luo,
Tong Liu,
Yong Ni,
Zhenghong Qin
Affiliations
Kunming Zhou
Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
Weifeng Luo
Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China
Tong Liu
Institute of Pain Medicine and Special Environmental Medicine, Nantong University, Nantong 226019, China
Yong Ni
Department of Neurology and Clinical Research Center of Neurological Disease, The Second Affiliated Hospital of Soochow University, Suzhou 215004, China
Zhenghong Qin
Department of Pharmacology and Laboratory of Aging and Nervous Diseases, College of Pharmaceutical Sciences, Suzhou Medical College of Soochow University, Suzhou 215123, China
Neurotoxins generally inhibit or promote the release of neurotransmitters or bind to receptors that are located in the pre- or post-synaptic membranes, thereby affecting physiological functions of synapses and affecting biological processes. With more and more research on the toxins of various origins, many neurotoxins are now widely used in clinical treatment and have demonstrated good therapeutic outcomes. This review summarizes the structural properties and potential pharmacological effects of neurotoxins acting on different components of the synapse, as well as their important clinical applications, thus could be a useful reference for researchers and clinicians in the study of neurotoxins.
