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When an injury occurs in many organisms, a whole-body response is triggered, possibly aiding in healing and regeneration; this is seen in mice, axolotls, zebrafish, and planarian worms. In planarians, researchers found that the ERK signaling pathway, traveling at faster speeds than previously believed along their body-wall muscle cells, is crucial for regeneration, implying a coordinated body-wide decision-making process for regeneration, which also provides insights into cancer as unhealed wounds.