Recent preclinical study offers a promising clue: Role of regulatory T cells as biomarkers in migraine.

The exact etiology of migraine has not yet been fully understood. There is no specific diagnostic test for migraine and is often misdiagnosed like all other types of headaches. The lack of a diagnostic test is also a significant impediment to migraine management. In previous clinical studies, the author and his team found decreased levels of CD4+CD25+ Regulatory T cells (Treg) in migraine patients. These reductions were significant in the ictal phase of migraine, regardless of the subtype of migraines. Interestingly, the recent preclinical study demonstrated a significant improvement in nitroglycerine induced headache by activating Treg cells. Therefore, the author argued that peripheral Treg cell levels can be a therapeutically relevant biomarker for migraine.