Uncovering the secrets of syphilis

For centuries, debate has persisted over where syphilis originated — whether it was brought to Europe from the Americas after 1492, or whether it existed there already. New research combining archaeological context, analysis of ancient human skeletal remains, and paleogenomics (the study of ancient DNA) offers a powerful approach to resolving this long-standing question. By examining all three lines of evidence together rather than relying on any single data source, scientists can build a more complete picture of when and where the disease emerged and how it spread. The findings highlight how integrating multiple disciplines is essential for untangling the deep history of infectious diseases, with implications not only for understanding syphilis but also for how we investigate the origins and movement of pathogens more broadly across human prehistory.

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Mexican genome trove could guide medical decisions

A large-scale genomic study of the Mexican population examined how subtle differences in ancestry influence how individuals respond to medications. By analyzing fine-grained ancestry patterns rather than broad ethnic categories, researchers found that more precise ancestral background can meaningfully predict drug response variation. The findings suggest that standard pharmacogenomic guidelines, which often rely on coarse population labels, may miss clinically important distinctions present within admixed populations like Mexico's. This work highlights the value of building genomic reference databases from underrepresented populations, as most existing resources are heavily biased toward European ancestry. Better capturing this diversity could improve the accuracy of personalized medicine approaches and help ensure that people of Latin American descent receive more tailored, effective treatment recommendations.

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A 5500-year-old <i>Treponema pallidum</i> genome from Sabana de Bogotá, Colombia

Researchers recovered and analyzed ancient DNA from a 5,500-year-old burial at the Tequendama I rock shelter in Colombia, identifying a *Treponema pallidum* genome predating European contact by thousands of years. Phylogenetic analysis places this ancient strain — designated TE1-3 — as a sister lineage to all currently known *T. pallidum* subspecies, meaning it diverged before the evolutionary split that gave rise to syphilis, yaws, and bejel. The find pushes back the genomic record of treponemal disease by millennia and demonstrates that diverse *Treponema* lineages were already present in the Americas among Middle Holocene hunter-gatherers. This supports a deep American history for these pathogens and adds significant new data to the long-standing debate over treponemal origins and spread.

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