Özge Özkaya, PhD
Özge has a Phd in Molecular Biology and several years experience working as a bench scientists. She has been working in science communication since 2014.
Comparable Hysterectomy Outcomes Achieved With Robotic Single-Port and Traditional vNOTES Approaches
Hysterectomy performed using robotic single-port vaginal natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (RSP-vNOTES) achieved perioperative outcomes comparable to those of traditional vNOTES (T-vNOTES), despite being used more frequently in patients undergoing complex concomitant procedures, including endometriosis excision, according to a new study published in Frontiers in Medicine. vNOTES is a minimally invasive surgical approach that allows access to the pelvic cavity through the vagina, thereby avoiding abdominal incisions. More recently, robotic single-port technology has been incorporated into this technique with the…
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A Global Shift Toward Imaging-Based Diagnosis of Endometriosis?
There has been a significant shift internationally from lesion visualization at the time of laparoscopy to non-invasive imaging approaches in the diagnosis of endometriosis, according to a new study published in the International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics. “Policies should aim to overcome barriers to uptake of imaging-based diagnostics by supporting training initiatives, reducing associated costs, and improving geographical accessibility,” the auhtors of the study said, adding that once non-invasive approaches to diagnose the disease are adopted effectively, endometriosis care…
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First-Birth Outcomes by Endometriosis Type
Women with peritoneal endometriosis demonstrated the most favorable first-birth outcomes following surgical diagnosis, according to a new study published in Fertility and Sterility. The findings also suggest that women with a prior infertility diagnosis can achieve substantial reproductive success after endometriosis surgery. “The overall chance of first birth in women with surgically verified endometriosis seems good,” the authors concluded. “The findings emphasize the impact of age, timely diagnosis of endometriosis, and infertility treatment.” To evaluate first-birth rates according to endometriosis…
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Endometriosis Still a Significant Health Problem
Endometriosis continues to impose a substantial global health burden on reproductive-age women despite modest overall declines in disease burden over the past three decades, according to a new study published in the scientific journal PLOS One. The study showed that the burden of endometriosis varies considerably across countries and socioeconomic settings, with persistent regional disparities observed between 1990 and 2021. “To improve outcomes, regionalized disease management strategies may be needed to address differences in disease burden across countries and regions,”…
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Serologic Signals of Nerve Injury in Endometriosis
Patients with fibromyalgia demonstrated serologic evidence of ongoing neuronal injury comparable to small fibre neuropathy, according to a new study published in Pain Reports. The study also showed that patients with endometriosis exhibited an intermediate neurofilament light chain (NfL) profile, with levels higher than healthy controls but lower than those observed in fibromyalgia and small fibre neuropathy cohorts. These findings further support the growing concept that nerve pathology and neuropathic-like mechanisms may contribute to chronic pain conditions traditionally considered predominantly…
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The Cognitive-Emotional Pain Network in Endometriosis
Pain intensity and pain-related functional burden may contribute to progressive worsening of cognitive fusion, depressive symptoms, and somatization in women with endometriosis, according to a study led by David Skvarc and published in the British Journal of Health Psychology. Cognitive-emotional dysregulation appears closely intertwined with pain amplification, psychological burden, and sexual distress, supporting a multidimensional biopsychosocial model of endometriosis-associated pain. A prospective three-wave longitudinal study followed 210 cis-women with endometriosis over one year using repeated online assessments evaluating pain intensity,…
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Plant Sterol Against Endometriosis
Endometriosis may include an aggressive, immunomodulatory subtype driven by a cellular senescence–PAK4–AKT signaling circuit, according to a new study published in Aging Cell by Jingchun Liu and colleagues from Wuhan University. The researchers also identified the natural plant sterol stigmasterol as a promising senescence-targeting agent for experimental endometriosis. Using genomic datasets, patient-derived tissues, primary cell cultures, and mouse models, the investigators identified marked heterogeneity in senescence among ectopic endometriotic lesions. Senescence-enriched lesions demonstrated more aggressive behavior and increased immune remodeling…
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Women With Endometriosis May be at a Higher Risk of Physhiatric Disorders
Endometriosis may carry implications beyond the pelvis. A new study published in Comprehensive Psychiatry led by Dr. Chien-Hsing Lu and colleagues from Taichung Veterans General Hospital, Taiwan, suggests that women with endometriosis may have an increased long-term risk of psychiatric disorders. Using real-world data from more than 7,500 women with endometriosis and matched controls, the authors followed patients for up to two decades. They found that endometriosis was associated with a higher risk of several psychiatric conditions, particularly depression, anxiety,…
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Beyond Coincidence: Endometriosis and Polyps
Endometriosis may not come alone. A new study published in Reproductive Biomedicine Online by Dr. Paolo Viganò’s group from the Università degli Studi di Milano, Italy, highlights a clinically meaningful link between endometriosis and endometrial polyps—particularly in women with infertility. Drawing on data from more than 10,000 women across 22 observational studies, the analysis shows that women with endometriosis are about twice as likely to have endometrial polyps. The reverse is also observed: women diagnosed with polyps have a similarly…
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Nerve Preservation Improves Outcomes in Bowel Endometriosis
Laparoscopic nerve-sparing resection (LscPR) may offer an optimal balance between effectiveness and safety in the surgical management of bowel endometriosis, according to a study published in the International Journal of Women’s Health. In a retrospective cohort of 320 women treated between 2014 and 2024, investigators led by Dr. Min Hu from Jinhua Hospital, Zhejiang University, China, compared four surgical approaches, including shaving, discoid, segmental, and nerve-sparing resection. LscPR was associated with substantial symptom improvement and the most favorable overall functional…
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Menstural Blood: A Medium Full of Information for Reproductive Diseases
A study published in ImmunoHorizons by Dr. April Rees and colleagues from Swansea University Medical School, UK, demonstrates that menstrual blood provides a biologically informative and non-invasive window into immune processes underlying reproductive diseases. Using an optimized high-dimensional,27-color flow cytometry platform incorporating mitochondrial profiling, the authors analyzed menstrual and matched peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy individuals and patients with endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). This approach enabled detailed characterization of 40 immune cell subsets across 546 immunological parameters, including…
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Toward Personalized Endometriosis Models: Organoids
A study published in Human Reproduction by Prof. Caroline Ford and colleagues from UNSW Sydney, Australia, demonstrates that patient-derived organoids can model the biological diversity of endometriosis across its major subtypes. The researchers aimed to determine whether organoid models could be reliably established from different forms of endometriosis, including deep infiltrating disease, ovarian endometrioma, and peritoneal lesions. To address this, they generated organoid cultures from 28 tissue samples obtained from 23 patients and evaluated their growth, morphology, hormone receptor expression,…
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Lesion-Specific Stromal Cell Behavior in Endometriosis
Endometriosis is known to present with highly variable clinical features, but the biological basis for this heterogeneity remains poorly understood. A new study led by Brigitte Leeners from the University Hospital Zurich, Switzerland, and published in Cells, provides insight into how cellular behavior may differ across lesion types. To investigate this, the researchers analyzed endometrial stromal cells (ESCs) isolated from different forms of endometriotic lesions—including superficial peritoneal lesions, deep infiltrating endometriosis, and endometriomas—as well as from eutopic endometrium. They found…
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Molecular Insights Into KISS1 in Endometriosis
The KISS1 signaling pathway may play a role in the molecular mechanisms underlying endometriosis, according to a study published in the International Journal of Medical Sciences. In the study, Yuan and Li groups investigated how kisspeptin 1 (KISS1) and its receptor (KISS1R) may interact with cellular signaling pathways involved in lesion development. To explore genes potentially involved in the pathogenesis of endometriosis, the researchers conducted a comparative transcriptomic analysis of ectopic endometriotic lesions, eutopic endometrium from women with endometriosis, and…
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Cannabis for Endometriosis Pain: Promising but Inconclusive
Cannabis-based medicinal products may be associated with improvements in pain and health-related quality of life in women with endometriosis-associated chronic pain, according to a new study published in the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology. However, because the findings come from an observational study without a control group, the results cannot establish that cannabis directly caused these improvements. To explore this potential association, researchers led by Dr. Sodergren from the Medical Cannabis Research Group and Imperial College…
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Altered Histamine Pathways in Endometriosis
Histamine, a key mediator of immune and inflammatory responses, is increasingly being investigated in the context of endometriosis. In a study recently published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences, researchers found that women with endometriosis had significantly higher histamine levels in their blood compared with women without the disease, while histamine concentrations in peritoneal fluid and methylhistamine levels in urine did not differ between groups. To explore histamine-related mechanisms in more detail, Dr. Sylvia Mechsner and colleagues at Charité…
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Cardiovascular Health in Women With Endometriosis
Women with endometriosis may have a modestly increased likelihood of cardiovascular disease, according to a meta-analysis published in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica. The findings add to growing interest in the potential systemic health implications of endometriosis beyond gynecologic symptoms. To evaluate the association between endometriosis and cardiovascular outcomes, Dr. Geneviève Plu-Bureau and colleagues from Paris, France, conducted a systematic review of studies published through March 31, 2025. Ten observational studies met inclusion criteria and were pooled in a meta-analysis.…
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Menstrual Distress Beyond Pain in Endometriosis
Delayed recognition of the full symptom burden of endometriosis remains a challenge, as clinical attention has traditionally focused on pain alone. A new study published in theEuropean Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Reproductive Biology shows that menstrual distress in women with endometriosis is significantly greater than in women without the disease and is influenced by a broad range of physical and functional symptoms. To better quantify menstrual distress and identify its determinants, researchers led by Dr. Felice Petraglia at the University of Florence conducted a…
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Who Is Represented in Endometriosis Clinical Trials?
Clinical trials play a critical role in determining which treatments are approved for use, yet who is included in these trials can strongly influence how well results apply to the broader patient population. A new research letter published in British Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology found important gaps in how race and ethnicity are reported—and represented—in clinical trials that led to U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approval of endometriosis treatments. The researchers reviewed clinical trials conducted between 1980 and 2025…
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Laparoscopic Treatment and Pregnancy Outcomes in Endometriosis-Associated Infertility
A new study published in the Journal of the Society of Laparoscopic & Robotic Surgeons by Nezhat group and colleagues reports that many women with endometriosis-related infertility became pregnant after laparoscopic surgery, regardless of whether they had previously used fertility treatments. The research team, led by Dr. Camran Nezhat, reviewed the medical records of 95 women aged 18 to 45 who had infertility and underwent laparoscopic surgery for endometriosis between 2015 and 2023. Some women had surgery before trying fertility treatments, while…
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