How a tick could help prevent autoimmune diseases 

A research team  has identified a tick-derived evasin that can bind to two major classes of chemokines, a discovery that is important for the development of therapeutics targeting inflammatory and autoimmune diseases. The work is published in the journal Structure.

When the immune system detects a harmful or foreign agent, it triggers an inflammatory response. Small proteins called chemokines direct immune cells to the site of the injury or infection, resulting in the invader being inactivated.

More commonly known as parasites, ticks are able to attach and draw blood from us or our pets without triggering an immune reaction, because they produce proteins called evasins, which attach to these chemokines, preventing them from warning the immune system that it is under attack.

These chemokines can also "turn bad," overstimulating the immune system, resulting in diseases like rheumatoid arthritis (RA), multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer and inflammatory bowel disease.

Until now, scientists had identified only evasins that selectively block chemokines within a single class.

But this new study is important because a broad-acting evasin such as they have discovered is a potential therapy for autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and cancer.

 In this study, the researchers have identified a naturally occurring evasin that can inhibit both major classes of chemokines.

The discovery opens up new opportunities to develop therapies that target chemokines driving inflammatory diseases such as RA and MS. 

Discovery of an evolutionarily distinct evasin with dual CC and CXC chemokine inhibitory activity, Structure (2026). DOI: 10.1016/j.str.2026.02.001. www.cell.com/structure/fulltex … 0969-2126(26)00043-2

Deer Create Mysterious Ultraviolet Signals That Glow in Forests

Deer have the ability to see ultraviolet light, and a recent study shows they can also leave a glowing trail visible in those wavelengths, too.

The discovery casts a whole new light on the way deer are communicating with each other, and how they perceive their environment.
Male white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus) are known for making their mark on the forest during their autumn mating season. They rub their antlers against trees and the forest floor, shedding antler velvet – the soft, blood-rich velveteen 'skin' that covers their calcified antlers as they're growing – and leaving scent marks in the form of glandular secretions, urine and poop.

These marks, known as 'deer rubs' (on trees and shrubs) and scent-marking scrapes (on the ground), act as signposts to other animals of a deer's presence: a warning to rivals, a catcall to potential mates.

But scent, it seems, is not the only language with which the deer communicate.
Scientists at the University of Georgia (UGA) in the US have discovered that these marks 'glow' in ultraviolet wavelengths, which previous studies have shown deer eyes are capable of seeing.

"The resulting photoluminescence would be visible to deer based on previously described deer visual capabilities," the team writes in their published paper describing the phenomenon.

This is the first time scientists have documented evidence of any mammal actually using photoluminescence in their environment, although UV-induced photoluminescence in mammals.

https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/ece3.72618