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REVIEW article
Front. Neurol.
Sec. Headache and Neurogenic Pain
Volume 16 - 2025 | doi: 10.3389/fneur.2025.1548522
Unraveling the Relationship Between Inflammation and Cluster Headache
Provisionally accepted
Yu-Wen Wang 1
Xu-hong Yang 1* Xin-Hui Zheng 1 Gao-Shui Zhou 1 Xiao-Xia Zhao 1 Yi-Lan Zhao 1
Wu Shuhong 2- 1 Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
- 2 Chongqing Beibei District Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chongqing, China
Cluster headache (CH) is often referred to as the 'suicide headache.' Existing research suggests that the activation of the trigeminal-vascular system, increased sensitivity of nerve fibers, and the release and interaction of various neuropeptides and inflammatory mediators may contribute to neurogenic inflammation, which serves as a crucial pathophysiological basis for the development of CH.Additionally, some neuropeptides can modulate neuronal activity related to pain transmission and may increase pain perception by sensitizing central nerves. This review discusses the neuropeptides and inflammatory mediators associated with CH neuroinflammation, focusing on calcitonin generelated peptide (CGRP), inflammatory cytokines and related signaling pathways, nitric oxide (NO), pituitary adenylate cyclase-activating peptide 38 (PACAP-38), and vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP), incorporating both preclinical and clinical evidence to provide new insights into potential therapeutic targets for CH.
Keywords: Cluster Headache, Neurogenic Inflammation, trigeminal-vascular system, Neuropeptides, inflammatory mediators
Received: 19 Dec 2024; Accepted: 19 Mar 2025.
Copyright: © 2025 Wang, Yang, Zheng, Zhou, Zhao, Zhao and Shuhong. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.
* Correspondence:
Xu-hong Yang, Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Chengdu, China
Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.