Takeaway
A female-specific meningeal calcitonin gene-related peptide-prolactin pathway may explain why women are more likely to suffer from migraines.
Why this matters
Women are twice as likely as men to suffer migraines but the underlying female-specific mechanisms and the role of prolactin remain unclear. This study is the first to describe crosstalk between meningeal calcitonin gene-related peptide and prolactin signaling pathways that only occur in females and could explain the higher prevalence of migraine in women. The data suggest that targeting prolactin pathways could represent a new therapeutic strategy in female migraineurs.