Cluster headache (CH) strikes as a unilateral pain of extreme intensity and a majority of patients report a circadian pattern. The cause of this potentially life-threatening disorder (referred to as suicide headache due to suicide attempts when treatment is insufficient) is currently unknown and there is no cure. Cluster headache affects 0.1% of the population world-wide and genetic factors as well as circadian rhythm has been proposed as a causative role. The objectives of this project is to investigate the potential molecular mechanisms behind cluster headache and the link to treatment response in relation to circadian rhythm and genetic markers. This will allow insight into pathogenic mechanisms of cluster headache and lead to the identification of targets in the development of novel and more efficient treatment strategies. This project will be performed by using and further extending a biobank of biological tissue and clinical data from patients with cluster headache and controls in Sweden.

Methods:
Cell Culture and transfection, DNA and RNA isolation, qPCR, cDNA synthesis and qRT-PCR.

References:
1. Cluster headache - clinical pattern and a new severity scale in a Swedish cohort. Steinberg A, Fourier C, Ran C, Waldenlind E, Sjöstrand C, Belin AC. Cephalalgia. 2018 Jun;38(7):1286-1295.
2. A genetic CLOCK variant associated with cluster headache causing increased mRNA levels. Fourier C, Ran C, Zinnegger M, Johansson AS, Sjöstrand C, Waldenlind E, Steinberg A, Belin AC. Cephalalgia. 2018 Mar;38(3):496-502.