Locusts May Hold Key to Treating Migraines

In addition to being an insect lover, I'm also a migraine sufferer. So, I was doubly excited to read about new research by biologists at Queen's University in Canada. Scientists have found a link between the brain disturbances experienced by migraine sufferers and those that occur in locusts under extreme conditions. Their findings could have implications for the treatment of migraines, as well as other conditions.

Queen's biologists are learning from locusts how the human brain may be manipulated to alleviate disease, including migraine.
Photo courtesy of Gary Armstrong

Certain brain disturbances, including migraines, strokes, and epilepsy, occur when nerve cells shut down. The Queen's research team noted a similar mechanism in locusts. When exposed to extreme conditions, such as high temperatures or low oxygen levels, the locust brain shuts down and the insect slips into a coma.

By using drugs that target one of the cellular signaling pathways in the brain, the researchers were able to prevent the locusts from falling into a comatose state. In other words, they successfully disrupted the mechanism that impacted the nerve cells.

"This suggests that similar treatments in humans might be able to modify the thresholds or severity of migraine and stroke," says Gary Armstrong, who is completing his PhD research in Biology professor Mel Robertson's laboratory.

Source: Queen's University

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