E-cadherin proteins are now known to actively clean up cellular debris within human tissues.
Cell biologists have stunned the scientific community by revealing that E-cadherin, a protein long known simply as the structural “glue” that binds human cells and tissues together, possesses a hidden secondary function. New molecular imaging shows that this protein actively instructs epithelial cells to engulf and swallow nearby dead cells. This unexpected internal cleaning mechanism plays a vital role in organic tissue regeneration, wound healing, and preventing chronic inflammation, completely rewriting established textbook fundamentals of cellular behavior.
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