Keyword: InFLAMES Flagship

Cancer cell movement during metastasis is a dynamic process regulated by several different signals. However, the way cells receive, process and respond to these signals has been extremely hard to detect, but is made easier by a new visualisation tool. In a new study led by Professor Johanna Ivaska and Dr James Conway, researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have developed a new fluorescent probe to visualise signaling dynamics in moving cancer cells, which they used to uncover a new therapeutic possibility for limiting breast cancer spread.

Researchers at the University of Turku, Finland, have taken a step towards more personalised and effective cancer treatments. A new study has identified the conditions under which the antibody drug bexmarilimab can activate the body's own defence system against cancer, and how to identify patients who will benefit from the drug. The study was published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer.

Genentech Director Andrew “Andy” Chan, the new Visiting Professor of the InFLAMES Flagship, will arrive in Turku on 26 May.

Researchers of the University of Turku have participated in a study in which vaccinating women with acellular pertussis vaccine in pregnancy boosted the quantity and quality of pertussis-specific antibodies in the early life of infants.

Researchers at the University of Turku have discovered a new biomarker that can predict the progression of multiple sclerosis (MS). 

Senior Researcher Pekka Postila from the University of Turku and InFLAMES Flagship has been awarded  €120,000 Investigator Award from the California-based SynGAP Research Fund to investigate the effects of missense mutations on the SynGAP1 protein. Additionally, Doctoral Researcher Aliaa E. Ali has received full two-year PhD funding from the Finnish Cultural Foundation for her work on SynGAP1 modeling.

A multicentre study led from Finland has shown that lymph node transfer is a viable treatment for the swelling in the affected limb, a condition known as lymphedema, after breast cancer surgery. However, an effective drug to improve the outcomes of the transfer treatment continues to be sought. 

In the context of the 34th BioCity Symposium “Transforming Drug Development for Tomorrow” (28-29 August 2025) the twenty-first Elias Tillandz prize will be awarded for the best scientific paper published in 2024 in Turku.