# BLINK: Behavioral Latent Modeling of NK Cell Cytotoxicity

arXiv: https://arxiv.org/abs/2603.05110 · HTML: https://mlsanity.com/paper/2603.05110/

## Key facts

- No citing papers in the map yet (data through 14 Oct 2026).
- Builds on 7 of its 21 references that are in the map.
- First posted on arXiv 5 Mar 2026.

## Builds on (most cited first, 7 of 7)

- [Estimating or Propagating Gradients Through Stochastic Neurons for Conditional Computation](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1308.3432/) (2013)
- [World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1803.10122/) (2018)
- [Learning Latent Dynamics for Planning from Pixels](https://mlsanity.com/paper/1811.04551/) (2018)
- [Mastering Atari with Discrete World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2010.02193/) (2020)
- [How to Build the Virtual Cell with Artificial Intelligence: Priorities and Opportunities](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2409.11654/) (2024)
- [DiWA: Diffusion Policy Adaptation with World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2508.03645/) (2025)
- [LUMOS: Language-Conditioned Imitation Learning with World Models](https://mlsanity.com/paper/2503.10370/) (2025)

## Abstract (arXiv)

Machine learning models of cellular interaction dynamics hold promise for understanding cell behavior. Natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity is a prominent example of such interaction dynamics and is commonly studied using time-resolved multi-channel fluorescence microscopy. Although tumor cell death events can be annotated at single frames, NK cytotoxic outcome emerges over time from cellular interactions and cannot be reliably inferred from frame-wise classification alone. We introduce BLINK, a trajectory-based recurrent state-space model that serves as a cell world model for NK-tumor interactions. BLINK learns latent interaction dynamics from partially observed NK-tumor interaction sequences and predicts apoptosis increments that accumulate into cytotoxic outcomes. Experiments on long-term time-lapse NK-tumor recordings show improved cytotoxic outcome detection and enable forecasting of future outcomes, together with an interpretable latent representation that organizes NK trajectories into coherent behavioral modes and temporally structured interaction phases. BLINK provides a unified framework for quantitative evaluation and structured modeling of NK cytotoxic behavior at the single-cell level.