Karolinska Institutet research links tumor microenvironment to tamoxifen efficacy and unveils blood test for atheroscler

A study published in BMC Medicine shows that the types of cells surrounding a post‑menopausal ER+/HER2‑ breast cancer tumor influence the long‑term benefit of the hormone therapy tamoxifen. Researchers from the Karolinska Institutet, led by Nick Tobin and Paula Camargo Romera, analysed data from the Stockholm Tamoxifen (STO‑3) trial and concluded that microenvironmental cells provide additional information on patient response, which could eventually help stratify treatment groups.

In a separate proof‑of‑concept study in Nature Nanotechnology, Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab scientists introduced a spectral biophysical cytometry method using nanosensors to assess physical properties of immune cells in blood. The technique distinguished patients with atherosclerosis from healthy individuals by detecting changes in cell‑membrane order, mitochondrial function, lipid composition and gene activity. Lead author Erdinc Sezgin said the approach offers a rapid, label‑free indicator of immune‑cell health and may complement more complex analyses in future larger studies.