Imagine a world where cancer can be treated without destroying healthy cells - simply by reversing cancer cells to their normal state.
A KAIST research team led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho has discovered a breakthrough approach to treating colorectal cancer by reversing cancer cells back to normal without killing them.
This method addresses two major drawbacks of conventional cancer therapies: the risk of cancer cell resistance, which can lead to recurrence, and damage to healthy cells, which often results in debilitating side effects.
The technology operates by building a computational model of genetic networks using single-cell RNA data. By mapping these networks, researchers can identify "molecular switches" that reverse the cancer process and return cells to a healthy state.
A key insight from this study is that cancer progresses through a critical transition in which genetic and epigenetic changes push normal cells into an unstable state before they ultimately transform into tumors.
Using systems biology-based computer simulations, the research team was able to pinpoint the key tipping points that allow cancer cells to return to their normal state.
New Hope: Reversible Cancer Therapy
This breakthrough is based on the concept that during oncogenesis, normal cells regress along their differentiation pathway. With this insight, the research team developed a technology to create a digital twin of the genetic network that controls cell differentiation.
This technology enables the mapping of changes that occur as healthy cells transform into cancerous ones and identifies key mechanisms that can restore cancer cells to their normal state.
The effectiveness of this approach has been validated through molecular experiments, cellular research, and animal testing. The results demonstrate that cancer therapy can be systematically implemented by leveraging a deep understanding of cell differentiation pathways rather than relying on chance discoveries.
This approach introduces the concept of reversible cancer therapy—restoring cancer cells to a healthy state without destroying them—and provides a new method for identifying cancer recovery targets through systematic analysis.
Healing Cancer Without Destruction
The implications of this discovery are profound. This method not only reduces the side effects of cancer therapy—one of its biggest challenges—but also has the potential to lower recurrence rates by addressing the root cause of cancer at the molecular level.
In other words, this therapy does more than just suppress symptoms or temporarily destroy cancer cells; it restores the biological balance of cells, creating the possibility of long-term recovery.
Furthermore, this approach could lay the foundation for a new class of cancer treatments that are safer and more effective. As advancements in genetic mapping and systems biology continue, reversible therapy has the potential to be applied to various types of cancer, paving the way for a future of more precise, low-risk, and cell-restorative treatments.
Journal reference:
Shin, D., et al. (2025). Attractor Landscape Analysis Reveals a Reversion Switch in the Transition of Colorectal Tumorigenesis. Advanced Science. doi.org/10.1002/advs.202412503.
