Cells pulse together as they grow — and malignant cells pulse the longest

Epithelial cells, the protective lining that covers our skin and internal organs, exhibit an intriguing rhythmic behavior when they grow and migrate. MIT researchers have discovered that these cells synchronize and pulse together in a coordinated manner, a phenomenon observed across healthy, benign, and malignant cell types. This collective pulsing, a wave-like movement, occurs over a period of approximately an hour and is more persistent in cancerous cells compared to their healthy counterparts.

The researchers suspect that this synchronized pulsing could serve as an early warning signal to predict the aggressiveness of a tumor and its potential to spread. The study, published in the journal Newton, could potentially aid in developing targeted treatments for conditions such as asthma, where epithelial cell synchronization is disrupted.