Migraine is an incapacitating headache disorder that affects one in five adults. One type of migraine - called migraine with aura - is particularly debilitating and has no specific treatment.
Supported by a Brain Research UK fellowship, Dr Alejandro Labastida Ramirez is using new technologies to study migraine with aura, to help understand what's happening in the brain during an attack.
Funded out of our first round of fellowship funding, Alejandro emerged as an outstanding candidate, with a strong career trajectory and clear leadership potential, and bringing a unique skillset to headache research.
One in five adults in the UK live with migraine, around 11 million people.
So much more than 'just a headache', migraine is recognised as one of the most high-burden, under-researched medical conditions. As well as an intense headache, migraine can also cause nausea, fatigue and increased sensitivity to light and sound. It has a huge impact on the lives of those affected – including work, family and social life.
One in three of those affected has a type of migraine called migraine with aura, where the headache is preceded by sensory disturbances called auras. These disturbances can include flashes of light, blind spots and other vision changes, or tingling in the hands or face.
There is no cure for migraine. The severity of an attack can be reduced and steps can be taken to prevent the headaches from occurring, but up to half of those with migraine don't respond well to existing medications. There are no specific treatments for migraine with aura, leaving a significant unmet need.
Alejandro is focusing on a part of the brain called the thalamus, which helps process pain and sensory signals. The different symptoms associated with migraine with aura suggest that this area plays a key role in the disease.
He is studying a hormone called amylin, which is involved in pain and sensory signals.
He will use cutting-edge technology to study brain activity in mouse models of migraine. This will enable him to assess the effectiveness of a new treatment that blocks the effects of amylin in the brain.
This approach will give new insights into the mechanisms underlying migraine with aura, and open the door to new, targeted treatments.
The use of mice is essential in this research as the types of questions being asked cannot be addressed in any other way – the processes involved in migraine are too complex to study in test tubes or using computer models.
All animal work is strictly regulated by the UK Home Office. The team will use the minimum possible number of animals and will take great care that the mice don’t experience pain or discomfort, with all experiments done under general anaesthetic.
Alejandro has been studying migraine since 2013, after completing medical school. He earned his PhD in the Netherlands and subsequently came to the UK.
His work has been recognised both nationally and internationally; one of his PhD publications received an international award for the most significant paper in headache in 2019.
He is now working with experts in brain imaging and neuroscience to bring new technologies and fresh thinking to the study of migraine. His mentors, Dr Rob Wykes and Professor Stuart Allan, bring crucial expertise in the advanced techniques and methods that are required to successfully complete this project.
Alejandro has also established a broad network of collaborators across the UK and internationally.
‘Throughout the years I have developed a unique set of skills due to my clinical background and my 10-year preclinical research experience on migraine pathophysiology and translational treatments. I am committed to finding novel and effective anti-migraine treatments, with a bench-to-bedside approach.’
Migraine with aura affects millions and has no specific treatment.
Alejandro's research will help explain what causes it, and will test a new treatment approach - offering real hope for future therapies and a better quality of life for millions of people.
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