"There is clearly a genetic difference between people who get migraines and those who do not, and we think that difference could be RAMP1. Our studies provide a reason to look for variations in the DNA that encodes RAMP1 in humans," he said.
The study also suggests that the mice engineered to produce elevated levels of RAMP1 protein may be a good model for studying migraine and specifically trying to understand how the neuropeptide, CGRP, is working.
The UI team investigated CGRP receptors in the trigeminal nerve, which is responsible for relaying almost all sensory perception, including pain and touch, for the front of the head. The UI findings reinforce the emerging view that CGRP receptors in the trigeminal nerve play a key role in migraine headache.
However, there are other CGRP receptors throughout the body, and elevated CGRP levels are implicated in other types of pain, including arthritis. Russo predicts that his group's findings about RAMP1 will have implications for pain research beyond migraine headaches.
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Contact: Jennifer Brown
jennifer-l-brown@uiowa.edu
319-335-9917
University of Iowa
8-Mar-2007