Scientists have discovered that death travels in endless waves through cells that move 30 micrometers (0,03 millimeters) per minute, according to a new study by systems biologists Xianrui Cheng and James Ferrell of Stanford University, published in the journal Science.
Programmed cell death is necessary to rid our bodies of unnecessary or harmful cells, such as those infected with viruses.
Also, it helps in the formation of organs and other features in the development of the fetus.
"Sometimes our cells die when we really don't want them to, like in neurodegenerative diseases. And sometimes our cells don't die when we really want them to, like in cancer," says James Ferrell, professor of chemical and systems biology and biochemistry at Stanford.
This discovery will be used for the further development of medical knowledge in this area, either in cancer cells that need to be killed, or in patients with Alzheimer's disease where cell death needs to be prevented, reports B92.
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