MECHANISM OF ACTION OF SNAKE PRESYNAPTIC PLA2 AND BOTULINUM NEUROTOXINS AND THEIR RELEVANCE TO HUMAN THERAPY

The present project has a two aspects: i) basic knowledge and ii) therapeutic application of some neurotoxins. In fact, the present project envisages studies on the mechanism of action of a group of presynaptic bacterial or snake neurotoxins with the aims of: a) discovering their mechanism of action, including their entry inside the nerve terminals. b) obtaining novel information on the mechansim of neurotransmitter release. c) extending the range of therapeutic uses of botulinum neurotoxins and determining the therapeutic potential of snake neurotoxins and of their lipid products.