ERK signaling waves via body-wall muscles guide planarian whole-body regeneration across long distances

Whole-body regeneration is a multifaceted process that reinstates a body to its initial three-dimension size and struc-ture after resection injury.It is well-known that signaling waves such as calcium and extracellular signal-related kinase(ERK)signaling waves can efficiently transmit information between tissues or cells.However,the mecha-nisms responsible for coordinating wound responses over long distances are largely unexplored.A recent study has reported that the propagation of ERK signaling waves via longitudinal body-wall muscles play an essential role in wound response and whole-body regeneration in planarians,underscoring the significance of feedback inter-actions between spatially distinct tissues during whole-body regeneration over long distances.These findings not only address the central questions of regenerative biology but also have potential implications for regenerative medicine.