Korean Researchers Found A Way To Turn Cancer Cells To Normal

There is a trailblazing advancement happening right now in cancer therapy as researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) have developed a technology that transforms colon cancer cells into normal-like cells without destroying them.

This innovative approach, which is being spearheaded led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, represents a significant departure from traditional cancer treatments that rely on killing cancer cells, often leading to severe side effects and risks of recurrence.

"The fact that cancer cells can be converted back to normal cells is an astonishing phenomenon. This study proves that such reversion can be systematically induced," Cho remarked.

In the introduction to their paper, the researchers detail how research in acute myeloid leukemia, breast cancer, and hepatocellular carcinoma has shown that encouraging tumor cells to differentiate or trans-differentiate can achieve this reversal.

However, identifying the key regulators responsible for driving these processes remains a challenge. If these regulators from normal cell differentiation can be pinpointed and applied to cancerous ones, they could offer a promising alternative to current cancer treatments.

Conventional cancer treatments focus on eradicating cancer cells. While effective in many cases, this method faces two critical challenges: the potential for cancer cells to develop resistance and return, and the collateral damage to healthy cells, resulting in debilitating side effects.

The KAIST team has taken a radically different approach by targeting the root causes of cancer development. Their research hinges on the idea that cancer cells, during their transformation from normal cells, regress along the differentiation trajectory—the process by which normal cells mature into specific functional types.

To tackle this, the researchers created a digital twin of the gene network involved in the differentiation trajectory of normal cells. This computational model allowed them to simulate and analyze the intricate gene interactions that regulate cell differentiation.

Through their simulations, the team pinpointed master molecular switches capable of steering cells from colon cancer back into a normal-like state. These findings were then validated through molecular experiments, cellular studies, and animal trials, demonstrating the effectiveness of this approach.