Botox and the prostate: A new wrinkle
It earned notoriety as the cause of a deadly form of food poisoning, and it's considered a potential weapon of bioterrorists. But recently, botulinum toxin (Botox) has also achieved respectability as a cosmetic treatment for wrinkles and as a therapy for a broad range of medical problems. And a 2005 study suggests that benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may someday join the list of conditions that can benefit from it.
The toxin
Good from evil
While muscular paralysis makes the toxin dangerous, it also makes it useful. The trick is to purify the toxin and inject minuscule amounts directly into the target tissues.
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