Conclusions and future perspectives: Botulinum neurotoxins as paradigms for development of microbial effector-derived drugs

The transformation of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) from a feared poison to a life-improving drug treatment is an extraordinary demonstration of the powers of biological molecules. The exceptional properties of bacterial effector molecules as demonstrated by BoNT offer both a library of molecules for the development of future therapies and important lessons for their identification and use. This chapter will explore the frontiers of BoNT-based therapies and attempt to use BoNT as a paradigm for the development of therapies that exploit the diversity of pathogen function.