A groundbreaking study led by a global research consortium offers new hope for patients with mycetoma, a neglected tropical disease. Researchers using an insect model and transcriptome analysis have unravelled the mechanism of iron regulation between host tissue and the mycetoma grain, a fungal mass characteristic of the disease. This discovery illuminates how the causative fungus invades and develops these protective grains within subcutaneous tissue, paving the way for new drug development and less invasive treatment strategies beyond surgical removal, potentially reducing the burden on patients significantly.

A molecular dynamics study reveals that nymphaeol A, a propolis compound with therapeutic properties, spontaneously inserts into cell membranes. These findings help explain the biological activity of nymphaeol A and support its potential use in developing new biomedical compounds.