Novel Therapeutic Targets for Migraine
- PMID: 36831105
- PMCID: PMC9952984
- DOI: 10.3390/biomedicines11020569
Novel Therapeutic Targets for Migraine
Abstract
Migraine, a primary headache disorder involving a dysfunctional trigeminal vascular system, remains a major debilitating neurological condition impacting many patients' quality of life. Despite the success of multiple new migraine therapies, not all patients achieve significant clinical benefits. The success of CGRP pathway-targeted therapy highlights the importance of translating the mechanistic understanding toward effective therapy. Ongoing research has identified multiple potential mechanisms in migraine signaling and nociception. In this narrative review, we discuss several potential emerging therapeutic targets, including pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide (PACAP), adenosine, δ-opioid receptor (DOR), potassium channels, transient receptor potential ion channels (TRP), and acid-sensing ion channels (ASIC). A better understanding of these mechanisms facilitates the discovery of novel therapeutic targets and provides more treatment options for improved clinical care.
Keywords: Delta opioid receptor; adenosine; migraine; pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating polypeptide; therapeutics.
Conflict of interest statement
Dr. Nisar has no conflicts of interest. Dr. Ahmed receives honoraria from Abbvie, Biohaven and Eli Lilly. Within the past 24 months, Dr. Yuan has received funding from NIH (R44NS115460), institutional support for serving as an investigator from Teva and Abbvie, and royalties from Cambridge University Press and MedLink.
Figures

Similar articles
-
Future targets for migraine treatment beyond CGRP.J Headache Pain. 2023 Jun 28;24(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s10194-023-01567-4. J Headache Pain. 2023. PMID: 37370051 Free PMC article. Review.
-
Global Epidemiology, Clinical Features, Diagnosis and Current Therapeutic Novelties in Migraine Therapy and their Prevention: A Narrative Review.Curr Pharm Des. 2023;29(41):3295-3311. doi: 10.2174/0113816128266227231205114320. Curr Pharm Des. 2023. PMID: 38270151 Review.
-
Dynamic changes in CGRP, PACAP, and PACAP receptors in the trigeminovascular system of a novel repetitive electrical stimulation rat model: Relevant to migraine.Mol Pain. 2019 Jan-Dec;15:1744806918820452. doi: 10.1177/1744806918820452. Mol Pain. 2019. PMID: 30799680 Free PMC article.
-
Temporal alterations of pituitary adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide and its receptors in a rat model induced by recurrent chemical stimulations: Relevant to chronic migraine.Mol Pain. 2023 Jan-Dec;19:17448069231152129. doi: 10.1177/17448069231152129. Mol Pain. 2023. PMID: 36604785 Free PMC article.
-
Role of PACAP in migraine: An alternative to CGRP?Neurobiol Dis. 2023 Jan;176:105946. doi: 10.1016/j.nbd.2022.105946. Epub 2022 Dec 5. Neurobiol Dis. 2023. PMID: 36481434 Review.
Cited by
-
Adverse events associated with gepants: a pharmacovigilance analysis based on the FDA adverse event reporting system.J Headache Pain. 2025 Jun 23;26(1):147. doi: 10.1186/s10194-025-02091-3. J Headache Pain. 2025. PMID: 40551098 Free PMC article.
-
Cortical Hyperperfusion on MRI Arterial Spin-Labeling during the Interictal Period of Patients with Migraine Headache.AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2024 Jun 7;45(6):686-692. doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A8208. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 2024. PMID: 38663988 Free PMC article.
-
Oxybutynin for Primary Palmer Hyperhidrosis Attenuates Migraine Attacks and Burdens.Cureus. 2023 Sep 7;15(9):e44826. doi: 10.7759/cureus.44826. eCollection 2023 Sep. Cureus. 2023. PMID: 37818504 Free PMC article.
-
Navigating the Neurobiology of Migraine: From Pathways to Potential Therapies.Cells. 2024 Jun 25;13(13):1098. doi: 10.3390/cells13131098. Cells. 2024. PMID: 38994951 Free PMC article.
References
Publication types
LinkOut - more resources
Full Text Sources
Other Literature Sources
Research Materials