The headache would not be caused by our neurons, but by the Schwann cells. Explanations.
- Migraine is characterized by repeated crises manifesting themselves essentially by painful headaches (headaches).
- For one out of four migraine sufferers, the severity of the attacks has a significant socio-professional impact.
For those who suffer from them regularly, migraines can be a real ordeal, disabling on a professional and personal level. In an attempt to find more effective treatments, researchers, recently published in Nature Communications, wanted to know more about the origin of this shooting pain, which is still poorly understood.
Chilli experiments
“Previous studies in animal models and in humans have highlighted the role of a tiny protein, called CGRP, in migraine pain,” they explain in the preamble. However, CGRP activates specific cells in the brain, called Schwann.
Based on this premise, the scientists had the idea of doing experiments on mice, to find out if it was not the Schwann cells that triggered the pain rather than the neurons, and therefore the elements that had to be targeted. to overcome migraine. After testing with chilli, the researchers confirmed their hypothesis.
Potential new approaches
“While the role of the CGRP protein in migraine pain is well known, our study is the first to directly link Schwann cells to headache. This offers potential new approaches for the treatment of migraine, through a better understanding of how pain is signaled”, explains Nigel Bunnett, director of the study, relayed by Futura-sciences.
About 15% of the world’s population regularly suffers from migraine, which statistically affects more women than men.
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