Migraine is associated with three genetic variants, according to U.S. researchers published June 12 in the online edition of the British journal Nature Genetics. The findings could help understand the pathogenesis of migraine and lay the foundation for developing therapeutic drugs targeting the gene. Researchers at Brigham and Women’s Hospital in the United States analyzed genetic data from more than 23,000 women, more than 5,000 of whom suffered from migraines. In this genome-wide association study, the researchers identified sequences with associations among about 3 billion human gene base pairs. The results showed that migraine sufferers were more likely to have variants in three genes – TRPM8, LRP1 and PRDM16 – and if the women surveyed had variants in any of these genes, they were 10 to 15 percent more likely to have migraines. According to the researchers, the TRPM8 gene controls sensitivity to cold and pain, and the LRP1 gene is responsible for signaling to neurons. Although the exact cause of migraine occurrence is unknown, the general opinion is that migraine is associated with genetic factors. Several medical studies have shown that overreaction of nerve cells to stimuli is an important cause of migraines, and that women are three to four times more likely to suffer from migraines than men. The researchers noted that although this finding is a major advance in migraine research, it is not enough to conclude that migraines are caused by these three genetic variants, and researchers still need to conduct more in-depth studies to determine the true cause of migraines.