Genetic researchers QUT they tracked down, in a recent study, blood proteins at the base of cause of migraine and who have a shared link to Alzheimer’s disease that could potentially be prevented by re-proposing existing therapies.
The results of the Research have been published in the scientific journal Nature Communications.
Cause of migraine: Here’s what the genetic study says
Dale Nyholt candidate Hamzeh Tanha of the QUT Center for the Genomics and Personalized Health, he and his team of researchers identified the causal genetic links between the cause of migraine and the altered levels of five blood proteins:
•Lower levels of FARS2, GSTA4 and CHIC2 proteins linked to inflammation and the cause of migraine;
• Higher levels of DKK1 and PDGFB proteins inhibit Wnt signaling pathways and have links with brain calcification disorders;
• The risk-increasing effect of DKK1 provides a potential mechanistic link between previously reported associations between migraine, Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA).
Professor Nyholt said people with migraines had higher levels of DKK1 And PDGFB and lower levels of FARS2, GSTA4 And CHIC2 which caused an increase in the cause of migraines.
The scientist also stated that higher blood protein levels DKK1 And PDGFB inhibit the Wnt signaling pathways that transmit biological signals into cells and could lead to brain calcifications and pain-causing inflammation, while lower levels of antioxidant blood proteins FARS2, GSTA4 And CHIC2 they also cause inflammation linked to the cause of the migraine.
“In particular, our finding of a strong causal effect of higher DKK1 levels on migraine risk could be linked to a reduction in Wnt signaling. observed in Alzheimer’s and amyloid cerebral angiopathy“Said Professor Nyholt.
“Cerebral amyloid angiopathy is a buildup of proteins in brain arteries known to cause Alzheimer’s disease and reduced Wnt signaling has also been shown to increase neuropathic pain in a rat model. “. Professor Nyholt said migraine is one of the most common neurological diseases in the world and has been little studied considering its significant public health burden.
In Australia alone, the estimated cost to the Australian economy was about $ 35.7 billion annually and current treatments have failed in up to 50% of migraine patients.
The scientist also stated that proposed therapies for Alzheimer’s called Wnt activators that restore Wnt / beta-catenin signaling in the brain could represent new therapeutic tools for migraine treatment: “The good news is that there is already some development of DKK1-targeted therapy for Alzheimer’s treatment and the potential to reuse that therapy for migraines.“Said Nyholt.
Professor Nyholt said that while repurposing existing therapies there was also the potential to prevent Alzheimer’s in some migraine patients, the solution wasn’t that simple: “There is no genetic link between migraines and Alzheimer’s, but, in theory, controlling DKK1 levels could potentially prevent people with migraines from developing Alzheimer’s. However, although a subset of individuals who have Alzheimer’s may also have a history of migraine, not all migraine patients will have this link, not all people with migraines will have Alzheimer’s. ”
“There is typically no single cause of migraine and for these complex conditions that lead to the diagnosis. There are many different mechanistic paths that can go wrong and lead to disease. Our findings suggest that an increase in DKK1 protein production may be just one of these biological mechanisms underlying the reported increased risk of Alzheimer’s in migraine patients.“.
Professor Nyholt said most of the genes contained information used to make proteins, critical molecules necessary for the structure, function and regulation of tissues and organs in the body. The scientist added that blood protein alterations are promising diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets because those secreted by multiple tissues and cell types can be associated with disease through shared biological processes.
Nyholt concluded by stating that future clinical trials should examine whether alteration in blood levels of the proteins involved, such as the use of currently available or investigated DKK1 inhibitors, reduces the onset of migraine in patients with migraine.
#migraine #identified #genetic #study