For years, scientists have struggled to understand why some cells die off when exposed to radiation while others not only survive, but come back stronger than before.

Now, Weizmann Institute of Science researchers say they have finally solved the mystery, pinpointing two elusive types of cells in fruit flies that stare death in the face but simply shrug it off and then go on to help regenerate damaged tissue.

“These are elusive cells that everyone was looking for, and now we have a way to detect and label them,” said Prof. Eli Arama, speaking to The Times of Israel on a video call with lead researcher Tslil Braun, PhD.

The peer-reviewed study, which survived a devastating Iranian missile attack that hit the institute in June, may unlock why some cancer cells seem to not only defy chemotherapy radiation but also return in more aggressive forms.

The research is in its infancy and far from resolved, but scientists say the potential breakthrough could eventually open up new avenues for treating cancer and preventing relapses, as well as advancing therapies that could speed up wound repair of healthy cells.

“Although this work was performed in fruit flies, these findings have important implications for humans,” said Prof. Hermann Steller, head of the Laboratory of Apoptosis and Cancer Biology at Rockefeller University, who was not involved in the study.

The research can “guide development of new therapies to promote wound healing on the one hand, and on the other hand to overcome resistance of tumors to radiation therapy,” he added.

The study, published last month in the scientific journal Nature Communications, found that one type of cell entered the same death throes as its neighbors, a process known as apoptosis or programmed cell death, but halted before finishing itself off.

The second type never starts the death process at all and goes on to play a key role in rebuilding damaged tissue.

The team named the cell types DARE and NARE, respectively, short for unwieldy scientific descriptions that refer to whether or not they show an enzyme known as Dronc (itself an acronym), which triggers the apoptosis that would normally lead to death.

“One scientific reviewer wanted us to change the names we chose,” Arama said. “But we kept them because the acronyms are both memorable and accurately reflect their biological properties.”

Names, though, were almost the least of their worries. On June 15, two days into what would be a 12-day war with Iran, a ballistic missile packed with explosives slammed into the Weizmann Institute’s Rehovot campus, destroying a building adjacent to Arama’s lab and causing widespread damage.

“Our lab wasn’t hit directly, but windows were broken, and everything was a mess, with water on the........

© The Times of Israel