Inflammation, altered gene regulation, and exposure to substances in tobacco smoke may all contribute to the development of cluster headache. This is demonstrated by two new studies from Karolinska Institutet, which improve our understanding of the biological mechanisms behind this painful condition.

A seven protein “signature” in blood can indicate successful treatment for vasculitis. In “Nature Communications,” Berlin researchers explain how they used proteomics and AI to identify the biomarkers, which could enable personalized treatment with fewer side effects.

Researchers have found that HRT may reduce the risk of dementia, particularly for certain groups of women.  The team followed more than 180,000 postmenopausal women in the UK for this, the largest study of its kind to date. They found that women who had used HRT had a 16 per cent lower risk of developing Alzheimer’s (the main form of dementia) compared with those who had never used it. The greatest reduction was seen in women who had undergone surgical menopause, with a 26 per cent lower risk of developing any type of dementia, compared with non‑users. The study also found that women who naturally had lower lifetime oestrogen exposure, due to starting their periods late or early menopause, seemed to benefit more from HRT - with a 16 per cent lower risk of any type of dementia.

Researchers reported results from RENI-1, the first prospective multicenter real-world study of niraparib as first-line maintenance therapy for newly diagnosed ovarian cancer in China. After a median follow-up of 41.5 months, the study demonstrated durable progression-free survival, manageable safety, and stable quality of life, confirming that the long-term benefits observed in randomized clinical trials can be achieved in routine clinical practice.