Final Newsletter 2024 (5) - Flipbook - Page 6
Dr Olivia Grech
The role of glucagon-like peptide 1 in migraine
Migraine affects a billion people worldwide and is one of the leading causes of disability. It is a
multi-system disorder that significantly reduces quality of life and disrupts daily life. Despite
recent progress, 52% of migraine patients have not yet found an effective treatment. Our study
focuses on investigating the glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and its potential role in migraine.
GLP-1, a hormone known for regulating blood sugar, has shown promise in influencing
headache-related mechanisms and is already clinically licensed for use in diabetes and
obesity.
This study aims to explore how GLP-1 interacts with another important molecule involved in
migraine called calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP). While treatments targeting CGRP have
shown promise, they don't work for everyone, necessitating the identification of alternative
approaches. Building on our previous research with exenatide, a GLP-1 receptor agonist, we aim
to understand how CGRP and GLP-1 interact in areas of the brain responsible for head pain and
how the modulation of GLP-1 signalling might help treat migraines.
In our experiments we plan to study how GLP-1 receptor activation affects migraine symptoms
including allodynia, a feeling of pain or discomfort from stimuli that are normally painless. We
will further investigate the direct impact of exenatide on the activity of nerve cells in the brain
responsible for migraine-related pain. Our goal is to determine if GLP-1 receptor agonists
represent a novel target to treat migraines. The results have the potential to uncover new
targets for not only treatment for migraines, but also other pain conditions.
This project will generate new data to facilitate our understanding of how GLP-1 can be
leveraged for the treatment of migraines. This research is in line with the goals of the pain
foundation, working towards reducing the impact of pain on people's lives, especially those
dealing with migraines.
