This research, conducted in the laboratory of ToxoTech’s founders at Stockholm University together with academic collaborators and published in Communications Chemistry, examined how botulinum neurotoxin A interacts with neuronal gangliosides—key molecules involved in the toxin’s initial recognition of motor nerve terminals.
Using a synaptosome-binding screening strategy, the team identified BoNT/A mutants with enhanced ganglioside binding, which translated into increased potency and, in some cases, altered selectivity profiles. Structural and biochemical analyses helped reveal the molecular mechanisms behind these effects.
The work provides deeper insight into how receptor engagement shapes toxin activity and highlights how academic research continues to inform innovation in neuromodulator design.
Read the full open-access article on the Nature website.
