Explosive cytotoxicity of 'ruptoblasts' bridges hormonal surveillance and immune defense
Chew Chai, Eliya Sultan, Souradeep R. Sarkar, Lihan Zhong, Dania Nanes Sarfati, Orly Gershoni‐Yahalom, Christine Jacobs, Hawa Racine Thiam, Benyamin Rosental, Bo Wang
The paper identifies ruptoblasts, a novel cytotoxic cell type in planarians, showing they use explosive cell death to release cytotoxic agents in response to activin, linking hormonal regulation to immune defense.
bioRxiv · Mar 28, 2025 · PreprintImmunology