Bang! Exploding immune cells splatter potent toxins everywhere
Nature • • science
Key Points:
- Researchers have discovered a new type of immune cell called "ruptoblasts" that explode upon activation, releasing toxic chemicals that rapidly kill surrounding cells, a process they name ruptosis.
- This newly identified form of cell death differs significantly from previously known types, marking ruptosis as a novel biological phenomenon.
- The discovery was made while studying planarian flatworms, which possess remarkable regenerative abilities but lack antibodies, prompting investigation into their immune responses.
- Ruptosis is triggered by the hormone activin, which causes a rapid calcium buildup inside ruptoblasts, leading to their explosive death within minutes and killing up to 70 neighboring cells.
- The findings, published in the journal Cell, suggest ruptosis could have broad implications for understanding immune defense mechanisms across species, including humans.