A ground-breaking study by a team of scientists from Hyderabad-based Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB) has revealed that cells have a built-in ability to return from the brink of death and even accelerate the healing of damaged tissues. The process of revival is highly programmed and mimics developmental growth.
Such a revival, which the scientists called as ‘Programmed Cell Revival’, sped up skin wound healing and repaired corneal burns in mice, stimulated tail regeneration in frog tadpoles, promoted nerve repair in worms, and enhanced blood stem cell production in fruit flies.
The study, whose findings have been published in EMBO Journal, was led by Dr Santosh Chauhan. It revealed that a built-in mechanism enables dying cells to switch back on, restoring their function by reactivating developmental, metabolic, and immune pathways.
The team demonstrated this phenomenon across multiple species. In experiments, skin wounds and corneal burns in mice healed faster, tail regeneration was stimulated in frog tadpoles, nerve repair improved in worms, and blood stem cell production increased in fruit flies.
“What we see is not accidental survival of cells. Rather we find that cells across organisms have the ability to follow a common mechanism that can reactivate their developmental, metabolic, and immune pathways to restore their full cellular function,” Dr Chauhan said.
This discovery overturns the dogma that once a cell begins to die, its journey is irreversible. The scientists have filed for Indian and international patents for the discovery.
While the team sees enormous potential for regenerative medicine, they caution that this revival process could interfere with certain treatments. The researchers have already filed both Indian and international patents, noting that this marks only the beginning of a new chapter in cell biology.
“Many cancer drug screens rely on superficial signs of cell death, but this study warns that such cells may not be truly dead and could revive with enhanced stem-like properties, potentially making tumors more aggressive. While Programmed Cell Revival mechanisms may be a blessing for regenerative medicine strategies, they possibly reduce the efficacy of cancer treatments,” detailed Dr Chauhan. This discovery has opened up a new frontier in cell biology that is poised to engage experts of regenerative medicine and cancer biologists to look at their findings in a new light.
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