Latest news with #UniversityOfTurku
The Sun
3 days ago
- Science
- The Sun
Hunky tarantulas now growing GIANT record-breaking sex organs & mega ‘palp' saves them from being gobbled by lusty mate
NEWLY discovered tarantulas have shocked scientists due to their "exceptionally large" manhood. The spiders ' sexual organs measure in at record length to fend off "highly aggressive" mates that try to eat them after doing the deed, experts believe. 4 4 Four new species of tarantula have been identified and one is packing record-long genitalia. Scientists noticed they had much larger palps, which is the appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating. The biggest of the bunch is almost as big as its legs. These newly found tarantulas, named Satyrex ferox, have a legspan of about 5.5 inches while its palp can reach a length 2 inches. And yet researchers don't believe their sexual organs have grown to impress mates. Instead, they suspect it's to protect them from being eaten post sex. 'The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas," explained Dr Alireza Zamani of the University of Turku, who led the study into them. "We have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female." Scientists aptly named the species Satyrex ferox, which is a combination of "Satyr" a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia. The "Rex" part is Latin for king, while "ferox" means fierce. "This species is highly defensive," Dr Zamani added. "At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialised hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other." The others have been called Satyrex arabicus, Satyrex somalicus and Satyrex speciosus. All types live underground in burrows at the base of shrubs or between rocks. The study was published in the journal ZooKeys, is called 'Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps'. 4 4
Daily Mail
4 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Meet the spiders with 'exceptionally large' genitalia: Male tarantulas have evolved record-long sexual organs - to avoid being killed by feisty females during mating
They're some of the most awe-inspiring creatures in the animal kingdom. But if these spiders weren't already extraordinary enough, scientists have just discovered they boast another impressive feature. Four new species of tarantula have been identified in the Arabian Peninsula and the Horn of Africa - and they've evolved the longest genitalia of their kind. Rather than a display of dominance, experts believe their record-breaking appendages have developed to help them avoid being killed by females during mating. 'Based on both morphological and molecular data, they are so distinct from their closest relatives that we had to establish an entirely new genus to classify them, and we named it Satyrex,' said Dr Alireza Zamani of the University of Turku, who led the study. This name is a combination of two words - 'Satyr', which is a part-man, part-beast figure from Greek mythology with exceptionally large genitalia, and the Latin word 'rex' which means king. 'The males of these spiders have the longest palps among all known tarantulas,' Dr. Zamani said. Palps - which look like two legs at the front of the body, near the face - are the specialized appendages used by male spiders to transfer sperm during mating. Satyrex ferox, the largest of the four new species, has a legspan of about 14 cm (5.5 inches) and a male's palp can reach a length of 5 cm (2 inches). This makes it almost as long as its longest legs, the researchers said. 'This species is highly defensive', Dr Zamani added. 'At the slightest disturbance, it raises its front legs in a threat posture and produces a loud hissing sound by rubbing specialized hairs on the basal segments of the front legs against each other. 'We have tentatively suggested that the long palps might allow the male to keep a safer distance during mating and help him avoid being attacked and devoured by the highly aggressive female.' The name ferox, therefore, was chosen because it means 'fierce'. As for the others in the group, the researchers named S. arabicus and S. somalicus after their respective regions of origin. Meanwhile S. speciosus gets its name from its bright and beautiful coloration. The new genus also includes an older species, S. longimanus, originally discovered in Yemen in 1903 and previously placed in a different genus. All members of the new genus are fossorial, which means they live underground. They can mostly be found in burrows at the base of shrubs or between rocks. The study, published in the journal ZooKeys, is called 'Size matters: a new genus of tarantula with the longest male palps'. WHAT ARE TARANTULAS AND WHAT DO WE KNOW ABOUT THEM? Tarantulas are hairy and generally large spiders most commonly found in the US, Mexico and tropical America. The largest species of tarantula are found in South America and belong to the genus Theraphosa. They are almost three inches long (7.5cm) and has been known to even capture small avian prey. Female tarantulas have a more stocky body than a male and is covered in a light brown or tan hair The male is thinner and lankier, with black hair covering most of the body and reddish hairs on its abdomen. Tarantulas have two body parts, the cephalothorax and the abdomen, eight walking legs and two pedipalps that are used for touching and moving prey. Tarantulas are very sensitive to vibrations in the ground that may indicate the presence of prey or danger. They are equipped with urticating hairs on their abdomen which can be released by kicking with the back legs; these hairs irritate the nose and eyes of would-be attackers. Tarantulas live in dry, well-drained soils in open areas throughout the desert and grassland areas. All North American tarantulas are ground-dwellers although some other species live in trees, cliffs, caves, or in crops like bananas and pineapples. Some tarantula species are endangered because of habitat destruction and over-collection for the pet trade. Tarantulas are nocturnal hunters. They feed primarily on insects like grasshoppers, beetles, other small spiders and arthropods, and will sometimes eat small lizards. They will attempt to overcome anything of the right size that moves in their range. Most tarantulas have weak venom.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Faron Announces New Data that Highlight Patient Populations with Cancer that are Most Likely to Benefit from First-in-class Immunotherapy Bexmarilimab
TURKU, FI / / May 23, 2025 / Faron Pharmaceuticals (HEL:FARON)(LSE:FARN) - New data published in the Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancerreveals how tumor microenvironment shapes response to bexmarilimab along with a gene signature that can predict sensitivity to treatment Study highlights: Tissuemicroenvironments showed three distinct response patterns to bexmarilimab , driven by the level of inflammation, macrophage type, and their location within the tissue. Bexmarilimab stimulated response in immunologically-cold tumors and inhibited inflammation in treatment resistant tumors. New patent filed around gene signature validated to predict bexmarilimab sensitivity, offering a tool for patient selection. Cancer-free adjacent tissues also responded to bexmarilimab , primarily through B cell activation, hinting towards long lasting systemic beneficial affects against cancer. Turku, Finland - Faron Pharmaceuticals Ltd. (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON), a clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, today announced the publication of a new study in the peer-reviewed Journal for ImmunoTherapy of Cancer , shedding new light on how the tumor microenvironment (TME) influences the response to bexmarilimab , the company's investigational macrophage-targeting immunotherapy. The study, conducted by researchers at the University of Turku and Turku University Hospital, used advanced patient-derived explant culture (PDEC) models and cutting-edge transcriptomic profiling to map the immunological landscape surrounding tumors and their adjacent tissues. It identified critical molecular and cellular factors that determine how patients respond to bexmarilimab therapy. Dr. Maija Hollmén, Chief Scientific Officer of Faron Pharmaceuticals and senior author of the study from MediCity Research Laboratory and InFLAMES Flagship, University of Turku, Finland, said, "This work gives us a mechanistic framework for understanding why some patients respond remarkably well to bexmarilimab while others do not in solid tumors. By recognizing that macrophage response is governed by the tissue's immunological state, we open new possibilities for tailored therapy. This could help guide both clinical trial design and eventual treatment decisions, ensuring patients are matched with the right therapy to have a better chance at survival." Tumor-associated macrophages, or TAMs, are specific immune cells found within and around solid tumors. Depending on their type, they can either help the body fight cancer (immunostimulatory) or protect the tumor (immunosuppressive) and help it grow. Hence, it is important to study them in the tumor microenvironment (TME or the area around the tumor where these cells are present). By understanding how TAMs behave in different tumors, researchers can find better ways to treat cancer with medicines that reprogram these cells to attack the tumor instead of helping it. Bexmarilimab is a first-in-class humanized anti-Clever-1 antibody designed to reprogram TAMs from an immunosuppressive to an immunostimulatory phenotype. By inhibiting the scavenger receptor Clever-1, bexmarilimab enhances antigen presentation and promotes anti-tumor immunity. This study addresses the heterogeneity of TAMs by showing how their type, origin, and the tumor environment influence response to therapy. Researchers analyzed samples of tumor and adjacent cancer-free tissue from patients with breast cancer who underwent mastectomy (PDEC model). They also applied a combination of single-cell RNA sequencing, spatial transcriptomics, and cytokine profiling to identify the genes associated with bexmarilimab's response. Bexmarilimab stimulated response in immunologically "cold" tumors (low inflammation) and reduced inflammation in TMEs with strong IFN signaling and advanced TAM activity. The analysis validated five genes (including CXCL9, FCGR1A, GBP5, SLAMF7, and SERPING1) that accurately predicted sensitivity to bexmarilimab . This allows for a potential biomarker-based strategy to enrich patient populations in clinical trials in solid tumors and optimize therapeutic outcomes. A new patent application has been filed for using this method for patient selection. Dr. Petri Bono, Chief Medical Officer, Faron Pharmaceuticals, said, "As the immunotherapy landscape evolves, understanding the TME's influence on treatment response is becoming increasingly critical. These findings lay a scientific foundation for advancing macrophage-targeting therapies beyond trial-and-error toward a more predictive treatment. It can potentially impact the design of future trials for bexmarilimab in solid tumors, including potential companion diagnostics based on the identified gene signature." Moreover, despite that macrophage are known to be crucial for innate immune responses cancer-free adjacent tissues consistently showed B cell activation regardless of the corresponding tumor's response, hinting at systemic immune benefits as a part of adaptive immunity, i.e. the memory side of the immune system. These findings underscore the context-dependent nature of macrophage reprogramming and the need for precise patient selection in clinical development. The study also highlighted that bexmarilimab may complement existing immune checkpoint therapies. Bexmarilimab targeted tumor environments that are immunologically opposite to those responsive to anti-PD-(L)1 therapy. While each associated differently with baseline IFN signaling, both triggered IFN responses when effective. For the latest findings in Finnish, see the University of Turku press release . Bexmarilimab is currently under investigation for both hematological cancers and advanced solid tumors. The ongoing BEXMAB clinical study is evaluating bexmarilimab in combination with azacitidine in relapsed/refractory AML and MDS patients. The trial's most recent phase II data, to be presented at ASCO and EHA 2025, showed promising response rates in pretreated populations. Faron will be hosting a virtual webinar to discuss the full analysis of r/r MDS as well as new frontline HR MDS patient data on Monday, 2 June 2025. To register for the event visit: BEXMAB Phase II study results For more information, please contact: IR Partners, Finland(Media)Riina TuominenKare Laukkanen +358 44 313 50 553 9535 / +44 7 469 766 FINN Partners, US(Media) Alyssa Paldo +1 847 791-8085 Cairn Financial Advisers LLP(Nominated Adviser and Broker)Sandy Jamieson, Jo Turner +44 (0) 207 213 0880 Sisu Partners Oy(Certified Adviser on Nasdaq First North)Juha KarttunenJukka Järvelä +358 (0)40 555 4727+358 (0)50 553 8990 About BEXMABThe BEXMAB study is an open-label Phase I/II clinical trial investigating bexmarilimab in combination with standard of care (SoC) in the aggressive hematological malignancies of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS). The primary objective is to determine the safety and tolerability of bexmarilimab in combination with SoC (azacitidine) treatment. Directly targeting Clever-1 could limit the replication capacity of cancer cells, increase antigen presentation, ignite an immune response, and allow current treatments to be more effective. Clever-1 is highly expressed in both AML and MDS and associated with therapy resistance, limited T cell activation and poor outcomes. About bexmarilimabBexmarilimab is Faron's wholly owned, investigational immunotherapy designed to overcome resistance to existing treatments and optimize clinical outcomes, by targeting myeloid cell function and igniting the immune system. Bexmarilimab binds to Clever-1, an immunosuppressive receptor found on macrophages leading to tumor growth and metastases (i.e. helps cancer evade the immune system). By targeting the Clever-1 receptor on macrophages, bexmarilimab alters the tumor microenvironment, reprogramming macrophages from an immunosuppressive (M2) state to an immunostimulatory (M1) one, upregulating interferon production and priming the immune system to attack tumors and sensitizing cancer cells to standard of care. About Faron Pharmaceuticals LtdFaron (AIM: FARN, First North: FARON) is a global, clinical-stage biopharmaceutical company, focused on tackling cancers via novel immunotherapies. Its mission is to bring the promise of immunotherapy to a broader population by uncovering novel ways to control and harness the power of the immune system. The Company's lead asset is bexmarilimab , a novel anti-Clever-1 humanized antibody, with the potential to remove immunosuppression of cancers through reprogramming myeloid cell function. Bexmarilimab is being investigated in Phase I/II clinical trials as a potential therapy for patients with hematological cancers in combination with other standard treatments. Further information is available at SOURCE: Faron Pharmaceuticals View the original press release on ACCESS Newswire Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
