Kaist breakthrough: Cancer cells revert to normal state
Scientists from KAIST have developed technology that can transform cancer cells into normal cells, offering a potentially new approach to cancer therapies.
Researchers from the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have created innovative technology that allows cancer cells to revert to a state resembling normal cells. This approach could revolutionise cancer treatment by eliminating the side effects of traditional therapies and the risk of resistance.
Will the new cancer treatment method become a reality?
This technology involves reintroducing the expression of differentiation-related genes that are typically mutated or turned off in cancer cells. This allows for restoring their normal function or even transforming into a completely different type of cell. Previous studies have demonstrated the possibility of "reverting" cells associated with leukaemia or breast cancer.
The team, led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from KAIST, focused on colorectal cancer cells. By creating a digital twin of the gene network of the cells, they identified key molecular switches that induce normal differentiation. After applying these switches, the cancer cells returned to a state resembling normal cells, as confirmed in animal studies.
The future of cancer therapies
These studies show that reverting cancer cells to a normal state is possible by analysing digital twins of cancer cell gene networks. This approach could lead to new, reversible cancer therapies that can be applied to various cancer cells.
The professor emphasises that "the fact that cancer cells can be transformed back into normal cells is astonishing." The research findings were published in Advance Science.
