title: Calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonists as treatments of migraine and other primary headaches.
abstract: Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) is a potent neuromodulator that is expressed in the trigeminovascular system and is released into the cranial circulation in various primary headaches. CGRP is released in migraine, cluster headache and paroxysmal hemicrania. The blockade of its release is associated with the successful treatment of acute migraine and cluster headache. CGRP receptor blockade has recently been shown to be an effective acute anti-migraine strategy and is non-vasoconstricting in terms of the mechanism of action. The prospect of a non-vasoconstricting therapy for acute migraine offers a real opportunity to patients, and perhaps more importantly, provides a therapeutic rationale to reinforce migraine as a neurological disorder.
authors.affiliation: Headache Group, Institute of Neurology and The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, UK. peterg@ion.ucl.ac.uk
authors.forename: Peter J
authors.initials: PJ
authors.lastname: Goadsby
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000037:antagonists & inhibitors* / Q000378:metabolism*; D000077221:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor Antagonists; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000187:drug effects; D051270:Headache Disorders, Primary / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008881:Migraine Disorders / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide / Q000378:metabolism; D014276:Trigeminal Nerve / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology
chemical_list: D000077221:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide Receptor Antagonists; D018015:Receptors, Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide; D015740:Calcitonin Gene-Related Peptide