Muscle Twisting 'Dystonia' Treated with Medication Without Brain Surgery

KAIST Professor Kim Daesu's Team Discovers Serotonin Inhibitor
"Treatment Possible with Medication Without Brain Surgery or Botox"

Image provided by Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST)

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Bong-su] A new drug has been developed that can effectively treat dystonia, a condition in which muscles tense involuntarily due to stress and other factors, causing pain and body twisting.

The Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced on the 10th that a research team led by Professor Kim Dae-su from the Department of Biological Sciences has developed a new drug containing a substance that inhibits the neurotransmitter serotonin, enabling efficient treatment of dystonia.

Dystonia is one of the world's three major movement disorders, characterized by increased muscle tension independent of will, causing pain and twisting of parts or the entire body. The number of patients is increasing in modern society with high stress levels. In South Korea, the number of patients rose from about 28,000 in 2010 to approximately 35,000 in 2017, an increase of about 25%, showing a growing trend.

The cause of dystonia is unknown, and there has been no effective medication. The only treatments available are Botox injections or surgery to block nerve signals that tense the affected muscles, or deep brain stimulation (DBS) surgery that electrically stimulates the brain. However, Botox injections are limited to localized dystonia and are difficult to apply when the affected area is wide; resistance can develop, requiring increased doses. Surgery is only applicable to some patients and carries the risks associated with brain surgery. Therefore, if drug treatment without surgery becomes possible, it would mark a revolutionary breakthrough in symptom management and treatment for patients.

The research team focused on the fact that dystonia symptoms worsen under stress. Using an animal model exhibiting dystonia throughout the body under stress, they studied how stress induces dystonia. The results showed that stress increases the activity of serotonin neurons, leading to increased serotonin secretion. The increased serotonin acts on the serotonin receptor called 5HT2A, causing muscle tension. Therefore, blocking serotonin neurons or inhibiting the 5HT2A receptor can treat dystonia. The team also developed a drug that effectively inhibits the 5HT2A receptor, laying the foundation for dystonia treatment.

Professor Kim Dae-su said, "We hope that the dystonia treatment developed through this research will contribute to improving patients' quality of life," and added, "We expect it can also be applied to various movement disorders caused by stress, such as muscle pain."

The research results were published online on the 4th in the international academic journal Science Advances.

Meanwhile, based on this research achievement, KAIST is preparing clinical studies for dystonia treatment in collaboration with Neurotove Co., Ltd., a new drug development company established from this research.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.