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Botox can help fight cancer
Last reviewed: 02.07.2025
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Recent studies on laboratory rodents have shown that Botox injections, which are so popular among celebrities, not only help rejuvenate the face, but also help in the fight against cancerous tumors, in particular stomach cancer.
A group of researchers has found that stomach cancer becomes more vulnerable to chemotherapy and that the growth of cancer cells is slowed when nerve endings around the tumor are blocked.
A group of specialists from the University of Science and Technology in Norway and the Columbia Institute have proven that the nervous system plays a significant role in the development of malignant tumors, and by blocking the nerve endings that are located around the tumor, the process of reproduction of cancer cells can be significantly slowed down.
During their research, to block nerve endings in laboratory rodents, scientists injected the neurotoxin botulinum toxin, better known as Botox and often used by cosmetologists for facelifts. In cosmetology, Botox injections are quite popular cosmetic procedures that allow you to return youth and beauty to your facial skin in a relatively short time. The action of Botox is based on the temporary paralysis of facial muscles, which allows you to smooth out and reduce the number of wrinkles.
In their experiments, the specialists used several dozen rodents that had stomach cancer similar to that which develops in humans.
The scientists divided the subjects into three groups. In the first group of rodents, the nerve endings in the stomach area were cut using surgery, in the second group, the nerve endings connecting only one half of the stomach with the central nervous system were cut, and in the third group, Botox injections were used to completely disrupt the conductivity of the vagus nerves.
As a result, the specialists concluded that in the first and third groups of rodents, where the connection of the stomach with the central nervous system was completely blocked, a slowdown in tumor growth was observed. In the second group, the tumor stopped developing only in that part of the stomach where the connection with the central nervous system was terminated; in the remaining part of the stomach, the tumor continued to progress quite quickly.
According to the research group, the observed effect may be related to the fact that when the organ's connection with the central nervous system is terminated, the tumor stops receiving acetylcholine, which ensures the connection between the organ and the brain and promotes the proliferation of cancer cells.
International experts have proven that this type of anti-cancer therapy is effective only in the early stages of the disease.
But the experts do not intend to stop their research and they plan to study the effects of Botox treatment in combination with chemotherapy.
Experts also believe that Botox therapy is the best option for treating cancer because it is used locally. Botox can be administered via gastroscopy (using a thin tube inserted into the stomach through the mouth). The treatment will take several hours, and does not require a long hospital stay.
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