Making your way through the side of a barrel

Lymphatics limp along after MRSA Lymphedema is associated with skin and soft tissue infections, and both can be recurring, causing continual suffering in affected patients. To better understand the relationship between bacterial infections and lymphedema, Jones et al. used intravital imaging. They examined the lymphatics of mice infected with MRSA (methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus) and observed lymphatic muscle cell death, which led to prolonged dysfunction months after the bacteria had been cleared. In vitro experiments with human cells indicated bacterial toxins were responsible for damaging the lymphatic muscle cells. The findings suggest that these bacterial toxins could be targeted in patients to interrupt this brutal cycle. —LP Sci. Transl. Med. 10, eaam7964 (2018).