Scientists Uncover How Cells Decide to Fight, Repair or Self-Destruct

 Hyderabad: In a shift that could shape the next generation of therapies for infections, cancer and autoimmune diseases, scientists revealed that a cell’s defence responses, clean-up systems and self-destruct programmes are not separate processes at all but part of a single, tightly coordinated survival network. This new understanding, they said, could radically change how diseases are diagnosed and treated in the future.

Speaking at a three-day international meeting hosted by the CSIR–Centre for Cellular and Molecular Biology (CCMB), researchers explained that every cell has a built-in first responder system capable of detecting invading microbes, removing faulty components and triggering emergency shutdown when survival is impossible. These early defence steps determine why some infections become severe while others remain mild.

Dr Santosh Chauhan, senior principal scientist at CCMB and lead organiser, said scientists highlighted growing evidence that innate immunity, autophagy (the cell’s recycling system) and various forms of programmed cell death operate as an interconnected network. Disturbances in any one pathway can disrupt the others, contributing to diseases ranging from inflammatory disorders and infections to neurodegeneration and cancer.

Talks also pointed to a new unified model of inflammatory cell death, connecting mechanisms such as pyroptosis, apoptosis and necroptosis — previously viewed as distinct. This integrated framework is transforming how researchers understand cell death during infections and chronic inflammation, and may guide development of targeted therapeutics.

Another key insight presented was the powerful role of ubiquitin tagging and autophagy in immunity. New findings show that cells can tag and isolate invading microbes for destruction using these internal quality-control tools. This opens doors for host-directed therapies that strengthen the body’s own defences rather than attacking pathogens directly.