Seoul: In a groundbreaking discovery, scientists in South Korea have developed a method that could potentially reverse cancerous cells to their normal, healthy state, offering hope for more effective cancer treatments with fewer side effects.
On December 20, the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) announced that a research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering had successfully created a technology capable of converting colon cancer cells into a state resembling normal colon cells. Remarkably, this process does not involve killing the cancer cells, thus avoiding the often debilitating side effects of traditional cancer therapies.
The team’s breakthrough stems from a novel understanding of the process of oncogenesis, where normal cells lose their differentiation and become cancerous. By analyzing the gene network associated with the differentiation of normal cells, the researchers were able to simulate and create a “digital twin” of this network, which mirrored the natural progression of normal cell development.
Using advanced simulation techniques, the team identified key molecular switches that control the differentiation of normal cells. When these switches were applied to colon cancer cells, the cancer cells reverted to a more normal, healthy state. This transformation was confirmed through extensive molecular and cellular testing, as well as in animal models.
Professor Cho and his team’s research marks a significant shift in cancer treatment approaches. Rather than relying on chance or external interventions, the study proposes that cancer cell reversion can be systematically achieved through an in-depth analysis of the gene networks involved in normal cell differentiation.
“This discovery is truly astonishing,” said Professor Cho. “The ability to revert cancer cells back to normal cells is a breakthrough in itself. This study proves that such a reversion can be induced systematically, offering a new approach to cancer therapy.”
He further explained that the research introduces the concept of reversible cancer therapy, where cancer cells could be reverted to their original, healthy state. The study also lays the groundwork for developing targeted therapies by analyzing the gene networks of normal cell differentiation.
The findings hold tremendous potential for developing less invasive and more effective cancer treatments, offering hope for therapies that could be applied to a wide range of cancers, with minimal side effects.
