When it comes to invading healthy cells, Legionella bacteria rely on blending in rather than breaking in. New research from Van Andel Institute scientists demonstrates how a protein produced by Legionella mimics the behavior of the host cell’s own proteins. This clever ruse allows the protein, RomA, to change how the host’s genes are regulated and create conditions that help the bacteria survive and multiply. But there is a limit to RomA’s effectiveness. Although the protein can read and respond to the host’s existing epigenetic landscape, those same signals constrain what RomA can and cannot do.

A research team has uncovered fundamental molecular mechanisms governing the formation of tendons and ligaments, which are essential for musculoskeletal integration. Understanding these mechanisms could pave the way for the regeneration of tendons, ligaments, and their attachment sites, known as entheses, which have limited capacity for functional repair after injury because of their poor vascularization.

The warming climate is reshaping populations of the snail that transmits schistosomiasis in China. Now, researchers show that 92% of studied snail populations had positive temperature sensitivity, while body size and land use shaped survival and density. Projections suggest that more than 20% of populations could increase under future warming, highlighting regions and habitats where climate-adaptive surveillance and targeted snail control should be strengthened to sustain progress toward schistosomiasis elimination and protect communities nationwide.

Delivering drugs directly to oral tumor sites remains challenging. A recent review involving researchers from Hasanuddin University examines barriers to local drug delivery and analyses strategies for targeting oral cancer lesions. Saliva, chewing, tongue movement, and individual tumor characteristics can affect how long a medicine remains at the treatment site and how consistently it is released. Researchers emphasize tailoring delivery systems to the tumor, drug, and patient alongside realistic testing under clinical conditions.