Tuesday, December 02, 2025

Discovery of new marine sponges supports hypothesis on animal evolution

Uppsala University

Paco Cárdenas — image:
Curator at the Museum of Evolution; Zoology, Uppsala University
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Credit: Mikael Wallerstedt

A completely new order of marine sponges has been found by researchers at the Museum of Evolution, Uppsala University. The sponge order, named Vilesida, produces substances that could be used in drug development. The same substances support the hypothesis that sponges – and therefore animals – emerged 100 million years earlier than previously thought.

Sponges are among the most challenging animals in the tree of life to identify and classify. For this reason, a large number of sponges lack a formal name, which is unusual in other animal groups. While the discovery by scientists of new species of marine invertebrates is an everyday occurrence, it is far less common to identify entirely new genera or families. The discovery of a completely new order is rare: only twelve new animal orders have been described in the last five years.

In a new study led by the Museum of Evolution at Uppsala University and published in the Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society, researchers have found a completely new order of marine sponges: Vilesida.

“The discovery of this new order of sponges represents a significant advance in our understanding of sponge classification, evolution and marine biodiversity – and of the early history of life on Earth. Although the external shape of the Vilesida is barely distinguishable from closely related orders, molecular analyses show that they separated way back in the Mesozoic geological era – more than 150 million years ago,” says Julio Díaz, the study’s lead author.

Sponges collected from the Atlantic and Mediterranean

Vilesida species are spread across much of the world – from the Caribbean to the Pacific, in the Mediterranean and the Atlantic. Some of the species within Vilesida play important ecological roles, occurring in habitats ranging from tropical coral reefs to deep-sea environments. The study also describes a new family (Vilesidae), a new genus (Murus) and two new species from the north-east Atlantic.
Several deep-sea specimens from Spain (Atlantic and Mediterranean), collected by means of trawls, dredges or remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), played a key role in the discovery of the new order. Genetic and chemical methods were then used to identify and distinguish the group from other known groups of sponges.

Sponges may have been around 100 million years earlier than previously thought

The researchers also discovered that Vilesida species produce a very unusual type of sterols as major components of their cells. Sterols are an important part of cell membranes, where they affect membrane fluidity. Instead of using cholesterol, like humans and many other animals, their sterol profile is dominated by 24-isopropylcholesterols (24-ipc sterols) – sterols that have so far only been found in large quantities in these particular sponges.

“This discovery is particularly important because these unique sterols exactly match the fossilised steroids believed to be the oldest known animal biomarkers, found in large quantities in Ediacaran rocks older than 600 million years. Our findings thus provide further support for the sponge biomarker hypothesis, which proposes that sponges – and therefore animals – emerged around 100 million years earlier than previously thought,” says Paco Cárdenas, who led the study.

This hypothesis is also supported by a recent article published in PNAS, in which three of the authors of the current study show that unusual sterols in ancient rocks are very likely to come from early sponges.

Could be used in medicines

The discovery of Vilesida is interesting not only because it moves back the time at which sponges emerged, but also because they produce these unique sterols.

“Previous studies by other research teams show that sterols are of great interest as a basis for the development of new antimicrobial, anticarcinogenic and antiviral drugs. Now that the sponges have been named and we know where they are, our discovery can help chemists and pharmacists find these valuable substances more easily,” says Paco Cárdenas.

The study is the result of a collaboration between Uppsala University, the University of California, Riverside (USA), Geomark Research Institute (USA), the Spanish Institute of Oceanography (IEO-CSIC), and the National Museum of Natural Sciences in Madrid (MNCN-CSIC, Spain).

Journal

Zoological Journal of the Linnean Society

DOI

10.1093/zoolinnean/zlaf163

Method of Research

Observational study

Subject of Research

Animals

Article Title

Vilesida, a new order of demosponges revealed by molecular phylogeny and abundant 24-isopropylcholesterols (24-ipc sterols)

Paco Cárdenas and Julio A. Díaz.

One of the Vilesida sponges called Murus hirondellei.

Credit

Mikael Wallerstedt

FEMICIDE

Intimate partner violence injury patterns linked with suicidal behavior

Radiological Society of North America

image:
Head CT of intimate partner violence patient with left-sided parietal subdural hematoma (arrow).
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Credit: Radiological Society of North America (RSNA)

CHICAGO – Victims of intimate partner violence with suicidal behavior have characteristic injury patterns on medical imaging, according to a new study being presented today at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). The findings open the door to improved screening and earlier intervention to better protect these vulnerable populations, the researchers said.

Intimate partner violence is the physical, emotional or sexual abuse of a person by their partner or spouse. It is an increasingly recognized risk factor for suicidal behavior, and victims of intimate partner violence with suicidal behavior often end up at the hospital years before those without.

Researchers at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) and Brigham and Women’s Hospital (BWH) in Boston studied this relationship in 1,451 women who had reported intimate partner violence to the hospital from 2013 to 2018.

“Patients reporting intimate partner violence are at significantly increased risk of suicidal behavior,” said study co-author Emily Y. Yang, B.S., a 4th-year medical student at Harvard Medical School in Boston and a research trainee at the Trauma Imaging Research and Innovation Center (TIRIC) at BWH. “As suicide remains a leading cause of death worldwide, our evidence of distinct and overlapping injury patterns with intimate partner violence is an important step towards improving detection and providing timely intervention.”

Using medical classification codes relevant to suicidal behavior, which were defined as suicide attempt, self-harm and/or suicidal ideation, four study groups were formed: intimate partner violence with suicidal behavior, intimate partner violence without suicidal behavior, suicidal behavior without intimate partner violence, and patients who presented without intimate partner violence or suicidal behavior. The researchers also collected information on the timing and location of when the patient presented, such as day versus night and whether they came to the emergency room (ER) versus non-ER.

Suicidal behavior occurred at a higher frequency among patients reporting intimate partner violence (16.7%) versus patients without a history of intimate partner violence (2.5%). In the study, the majority of patients presented with suicidal behavior after reporting intimate partner violence. Patients with suicidal behavior and history of intimate partner violence were more likely than other patients to present to the hospital during the night versus day and in the ER, versus non-ER settings.

Review of reports by two experienced emergency radiologists revealed that both intimate partner violence and suicidal behavior played independent roles in doubling the overall injury rate compared to that of patients without a history of intimate partner violence or suicidal behavior. Patients with intimate partner violence often sustained head, face, neck and upper limb injuries—areas commonly hurt during assaults.

Intimate partner violence patients with suicidal behavior suffered over six times as many head/face/neck injuries, almost four times as many spinal fractures, three times as many deep injuries, and twice as many upper extremity injuries. These patients experienced almost twice as many severe injuries and three times as many mild injuries.

When looking at independent effects of intimate partner violence versus suicidal behavior, the researchers found that suicidal behavior had a greater impact on the injury rate of upper extremity injuries, while intimate partner violence had a greater impact on head/face/neck injuries.

Increased awareness of the interaction between intimate partner violence, suicidal behavior and radiologic injury patterns can better protect these vulnerable populations, according to Yang.

“Patients with a history of intimate partner violence tend to hide their circumstances out of fear, stigma, and/or distrust in the medical system,” she said. “Radiologists are possibly the only providers in a patient’s healthcare experience who can identify subtle injuries and patterns that may otherwise go unnoticed, giving voice to an often-voiceless population.”

Radiologists have a unique opportunity to uncover the hidden concerns behind injuries, according to MGH/BWH radiologist Bharti Khurana, M.D., M.B.A., associate professor at Harvard Medical School, founding director of TIRIC and principal investigator and senior author of the study.

“By recognizing recurring imaging patterns in patients experiencing intimate partner violence, especially those exhibiting suicidal behavior, we can initiate critical interventions earlier and potentially save lives,” Dr. Khurana said.

Other co-authors are Alexander Kwon, Krishna Patel, Tatiana C Rocha, M.D., Maria A. Duran-Mendicuti, M.D., and Bernard Rosner, Ph.D.

The National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Engineering and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health provided funding support for the research.

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Note: Copies of RSNA 2025 news releases and electronic images will be available online at RSNA.org/press25.

RSNA is an association of radiologists, radiation oncologists, medical physicists and related scientists promoting excellence in patient care and health care delivery through education, research and technologic innovation. The Society is based in Oak Brook, Illinois. (RSNA.org)

For patient-friendly information on emergency imaging, visit RadiologyInfo.org.

Subject of Research

People

How the nervous system activates repair after spinal cord injury

Karolinska Institutet

After a spinal cord injury, cells in the brain and spinal cord change to cope with stress and repair tissue. A new study from Karolinska Institutet, published in Nature Neuroscience, shows that this response is controlled by specific DNA sequences. This knowledge could help develop more targeted treatments.

When the central nervous system is damaged – for example, in a spinal cord injury – many cells become reactive. This means they change their function and activate genes that protect and repair tissue. However, how this process is regulated has long been unclear.

Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden have now mapped thousands of so-called enhancers; small DNA sequences that act like ‘switches’ for genes, turning them on or boosting their activity. By analysing individual cell nuclei from mice with spinal cord injuries using AI models, the researchers discovered that these genetic switches are activated after injury and instruct specific cell types to respond. The main cells affected were glial cells such as astrocytes and ependymal cells – support cells that help protect and repair the nervous system.

New opportunities for precision treatments

“We have shown how cells read these instructions through a code that tells them how to react to injury. This code combines signals from general stress factors with the cell’s own identity,” explains Enric Llorens-Bobadilla, researcher at the Department of Cell and Molecular Biology at Karolinska Institutet.

“This opens up the possibility of using the code to target treatments specifically to the cells affected by the injury,” says Margherita Zamboni, researcher at the same department and first author of the study.

The study is a collaboration between researchers at Karolinska Institutet and SciLifeLab, supported by the European Research Council (ERC), the Swedish Research Council, and the Swedish Foundation for Strategic Research. Some researchers have reported consultancy roles and patent applications related to the technology.

Publication: “The regulatory code of injury-responsive enhancers enables precision cell-state targeting in the CNS.” Margherita Zamboni, Adrián Martínez Martín, Gabriel Rydholm, Timm Häneke, Laura Pintado Almeida, Deniz Secilmis, Christoph Ziegenhain & Enric Llorens-Bobadilla, Nature Neuroscience, online 2 December 2025, doi: 10.1038/s41593-025-02131-w.