Keyword: Cancer research

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.

The Finnish Science Award 2025 has been awarded to Johanna Ivaska, Professor of Molecular Cell Biology at the University of Turku.

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.

Professor Cecilia Söderberg-Nauclér, InFLAMES group leader from the University of Turku, is investigating the links between human cytomegalovirus and brain tumours in a multi-million euro research project conducted in collaboration between researchers in Finland, Denmark, and Sweden. The Lundbeck Foundation has awarded a grant of approximately €4 million for the project.

The Elias Tillandz prize 2024 was awarded to an outstanding research article which offers a possible explanation as to why higher breast density and older age increase the risk of breast cancer. The Prize was awarded to the researchers at the BioCity symposium on Thursday, 29 August 2024.

A new Finnish study from University of Turku shows that already a 30-minute exercise can increase the proportion of tumor-killing white blood cells in the bloodstream of breast cancer patients.

Treatment outcomes for breast cancer have become better over the years, but proportion of breast cancers still recur even after long periods without signs of cancer remaining dormant in the body. Finnish cancer researchers discovered a mechanism that wakes up these dormant breast cancer cells and demonstrated that preventing the mechanism can significantly improve treatment outcomes in experimental models. 

Researchers at the University of Turku in Finland have found a new function for an existing protein. They discovered that TIMP-1, a protein traditionally known to prevent damage to the body's cells and tissues, plays a critical role in the immune system's defence against cancer. The findings of the study could improve the effectiveness of current cancer immunotherapies.

Top-level skin cancer research acknowledging the individuality of cancer is conducted in Turku. In the studies, the characteristics of cancer are examined at the level of tracers and molecules. This opens up the opportunity to tailor the most suitable treatment for each patient. The studies are rewarding for both the researchers and the research subjects. At best, patients with advanced skin cancer benefit from the new medicinal products used in trials long before these products are in commercial use.

University of Turku Professors Johanna Ivaska and Lauri Nummenmaa have received significant research funding from the European Research Council ERC. Ivaska received funding for a project that aims to discover how the biological limits of a healthy body influence cancer progression. Nummenmaa’s project examines the link between a person’s negative emotions and their physical well-being.