Suppressive Functions of Regulatory T Cells in Migraine

Launched by UNIVERSITY HOSPITAL, CLERMONT-FERRAND · Jul 4, 2025

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is looking at how certain immune cells called regulatory T cells (or Treg cells) work in women who have chronic migraine. Migraines are severe headaches that happen often and can be very disabling. Researchers believe that inflammation and the way the immune system behaves may play a role in why migraines become chronic, or long-lasting. Specifically, this study will explore whether these Treg cells, which usually help control inflammation and pain, are not working properly in people with migraines.

Women between the ages of 18 and 50 who experience chronic migraine (at least 15 headache days per month) may be eligible to join the study. To participate, they should not have other serious health conditions like diabetes, immune diseases, or certain types of headaches. If accepted, participants will likely undergo blood tests to help researchers understand how their immune cells function. This study is not yet recruiting, but it aims to provide new insights into migraine causes, which could help develop better treatments in the future.

Gender

FEMALE

Eligibility criteria

• Inclusion Criteria:
• • Females
• • 18 to 50 years old
• • Chronic migraine participants : chronic migraine (at least 15 days of headache/month, according to the International Classification of Headache Disorders, 3rd edition criteria
• Exclusion Criteria:
• • BMI \< or = 17kg/m² or \> or = 30kg/m²
• • Diagnosis or suspicion of type 2 diabetes, auto-immune or inflammatory diseases, immunodeficiency diseases
• • Diagnosis of headache of non-migraine origin, except for tension type headache \< or = 4 days per month (i.e.: cluster headache, post-traumatic headache, cerebral tumour...)
• • Pregnancy, delivery, miscarriage, breastfeeding, participation in a medically assisted human reproduction program (ovary stimulation/hormone therapy) \< 3 months before blood sampling
• • Menopause, hysterectomy, or bilateral oophorectomy
• • Flare of the autoimmune/inflammatory disease of interest \< 1 month before blood sampling
• • Modification of maintenance therapy for the autoimmune/inflammatory disease of interest (start, change of molecule, interruption) \< 3 months before blood sampling
• • Modification of prophylactic anti-migraine therapy (start, change of molecule, interruption) \< 3 months before blood sampling (for migraine participants)
• • Hormone therapy (besides contraception and treatment of endometriosis)
• • Transplantation (solid organ or bone marrow)
• • Cancer (active or remitting) \< 1 year before blood sampling (solid organ or blood)
• • Haematologic disease (benign or malignant) of the lymphoid lineage
• • Guardianship, curatorship, safeguard of justice or deprivation of liberty
• • For controls : diagnosis of migraine