![cell division before commitment a very long engagement](https://utterbuzz.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/cell-division-before-commitment-a-very-long-engagement-640x427.jpg)
Before a cell commits fully to the process of dividing itself into two new cells, it may ensure the appropriateness of its commitment by staying for many hours — sometimes more than a day — in a reversible intermediate state, according to a new discovery. Their revelation of this fundamental feature of biology includes details of its mechanisms and dynamics, which may inform the development of future therapies targeting cancers and other diseases.