Despite the development of numerous cancer treatment technologies, the common goal of current cancer therapies is to eliminate cancer cells. This approach, however, faces fundamental limitations, including cancer cells developing resistance and returning, as well as serious side effects from the destruction of healthy cells.
KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) announced on December 20 that a research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Biological and Brain Engineering has developed an innovative technology that can treat colon cancer by converting cells cancer cells in a state similar to normal colon cells without killing them, thus avoiding side effects.
The research team focused on the observation that during the process of oncogenesis, normal cells regress along their differentiation trajectory. Using this information, they developed a technology to create a digital twin of the genetic network associated with the differentiation trajectory of normal cells.
Using simulation analysis, the team systematically identified master molecular switches that induce normal cell differentiation. When these switches were applied to colon cancer cells, the cancer cells returned to a normal state, a result confirmed through molecular and cellular experiments, as well as animal studies.
This research demonstrates that cancer cell reversal can be achieved systematically by analyzing and using the digital twin of the genetic network of cancer cells, rather than relying on chance discoveries. The findings hold great promise for the development of reversible cancer therapies that can be applied to various types of cancer.
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho commented: “The fact that cancer cells can revert back to normal cells is a surprising phenomenon. This study demonstrates that such reversion can be systematically induced.”
Furthermore, he emphasized: “This research introduces the novel concept of reversible cancer therapy by reversing cancer cells into normal cells. It also develops a fundamental technology to identify targets for cancer reversal through systematic analysis of cellular differentiation trajectories normal”.
The study was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea through the Mid-Career Researcher Program and the Basic Research Laboratory Program. The research results have been transferred to BioRevert Inc., where they will be used for the development of practical cancer reversal therapies.