{
  "id": 14982494,
  "title": "AI reveals a shared language guiding cell development",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/16/ai-reveals-a-shared-language-guiding-cell-development",
  "topic": "ai",
  "section": "AI",
  "published": "2026-10-16T15:20:12.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Phys.org",
    "slug": "phys-org",
    "url": "https://phys.org/news/2026-10-ai-reveals-language-cell.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Embryo development begins with blank slate cells that take on specialized roles like brain, liver or muscle cells. These cells' fate depends on which genes are turned on or off, shaping their structure and function. They communicate with neighboring cells through chemical signals in multistep sequences called signaling pathways, guiding their development. Scientists often assume signaling pathways vary widely across cell types, making it difficult to trace a cell's signaling history. A new study led by MIT researchers discovered that each signaling pathway leaves a unique fingerprint—a consistent pattern of gene activity across cell types. This discovery, made possible through a machine learning model called IRIS, allows scientists to reconstruct signaling histories across many cell types, accelerating stem cell engineering and improving organoid creation. IRIS, trained on a large dataset measuring how human embryonic stem cells respond to major signaling pathways, can predict which signals a cell received at different developmental stages. This approach could help researchers understand cell-to-cell communication, guide stem cells into specific functional types, and study diseases like asthma and lung cancer.",
  "summary": "As an embryo develops from a small cluster of stem cells, those once \"blank slate\" cells begin to take on more specialized roles like brain, liver or muscle cells and organize themselves into three-dimensional structures such as tissues and organs.",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}