Health

Amplifying the brain's waste disposal system seems to clear a substance that drives migraines, relieving some of the pain associated with the condition

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Novel approaches are edging us closer to relieving the agonising pain of migraines for all affected

Sergey Khakimullin/Getty Images

One-third of people with migraines don’t respond to current treatments, but harnessing the brain’s cleaning system could open up a new treatment option. A drug that ordinarily treats high blood pressure helped this system more effectively remove a chemical substance from the brains of mice that is a potent driver of migraines. As a result, the mice showed fewer signs of facial pain, which affects about 60 per cent of people with migraines during an episode.

Around 1 in 7 people worldwide have migraines. Pain, pressure or throbbing in the cheeks, jaw, forehead or behind the eyes are common symptoms, and can be exacerbated by even light touch.…