KAIST researchers have discovered a molecular switch that can revert cancer cells back to normal by capturing the critical transition state before full cancer development. Using a computational gene network model based on single-cell RNA sequencing, they identified key molecular mechanisms behind cancer reversion.
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho’s research team has recently gained recognition for developing an innovative cancer reversal treatment technology that does not kill cancer cells but instead alters their characteristics, restoring them to a state similar to normal cells.
This time, they have successfully uncovered, for the first time, a molecular switch hidden within the genetic network that can induce cancer reversal at the precise moment when normal cells transform into cancer cells.
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on February 5th that Professor Cho’s team from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has successfully developed a fundamental technology to detect and analyze the critical transition phase when normal cells become cancerous. This breakthrough has led to the discovery of a molecular switch capable of reverting cancer cells back to their normal state.
A critical transition is a phenomenon in which a sudden change in state occurs at a specific point in time, like water changing into steam at 100℃.
This critical transition phenomenon also occurs in the process in which normal cells change into cancer cells at a specific point in time due to the accumulation of genetic and epigenetic changes.
The research team discovered that normal cells can enter an unstable critical transition state where normal cells and cancer cells coexist just before they change into cancer cells during tumorigenesis, the production or development of tumors, and analyzed this critical transition state using a systems biology method to develop a cancer reversal molecular switch identification technology that can reverse the cancerization process.
They then applied this to colon cancer cells and confirmed through molecular cell experiments that cancer cells can recover the characteristics of normal cells.
Innovative Computational Approach to Cancer Reversion
This is an original technology that automatically infers a computer model of the genetic network that controls the critical transition of cancer development from single-cell RNA sequencing data, and systematically finds molecular switches for cancer reversion by simulation analysis.
It is expected that this technology will be applied to the development of reversion therapies for other cancers in the future.
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho said, “We have discovered a molecular switch that can revert the fate of cancer cells back to a normal state by capturing the moment of critical transition right before normal cells are changed into an irreversible cancerous state.”
He continued, “In particular, this study has revealed in detail, at the genetic network level, what changes occur within cells behind the process of cancer development, which has been considered a mystery until now.” He emphasized, “This is the first study to reveal that an important clue that can revert the fate of tumorigenesis is hidden at this very critical moment of change.”
The results of this study, conducted by KAIST Dr. Dongkwan Shin (currently at the National Cancer Center), Dr. Jeong-Ryeol Gong, and doctoral student Seoyoon D. Jeong jointly with a research team at Seoul National University that provided the organoids (in vitro cultured tissues) from colon cancer patient, were published as an online paper in the international journal Advanced Science.
Reference: “Attractor Landscape Analysis Reveals a Reversion Switch in the Transition of Colorectal Tumorigenesis” by Dongkwan Shin, Jeong-Ryeol Gong, Seoyoon D. Jeong, Youngwon Cho, Hwang-Phill Kim, Tae-You Kim and Kwang-Hyun Cho, 22 January 2025, Advanced Science.
DOI: 10.1002/advs.202412503
This study was conducted with the support of the National Research Foundation of Korea under the Ministry of Science and ICT through the Mid-Career Researcher Program and Basic Research Laboratory Program and the Disease-Centered Translational Research Project of the Korea Health Industry Development Institute (KHIDI) of the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
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23 Comments
Wonderful achievement, scientific advance everyone dreams of achieving.
indeed
Excellent is the treatment available in the US? I understand currently just colon ca; what about if it has metastasize
This would give Joy to so many families throughout the world.
I appreciate all the long hours research has been moving on this advanced practice. May this renew real hope and happiness.
Aré this method of cáncer cure allowed to be inbMexico
This is a great break through. I still have questions as to the extend it achieves since it has to be captured at the transition stage. Further studies most likely will go further.
It will be interesting to see if and how this can be put into treatments because the implications of concurring cancer go beyond cancer and into life extension through increasing cellular growth and or decreasing appoptosis. Without cancer stalking us it would be interesting to see what we could get away with in pursuit of anti-aging.
Find it hard to believe there’s one molecular switch that can turn on and off cancer cells.
If true,could there be similar molecular switches for auto immune diseases?
Would this be applicable to blood cancers? It would be interesting to find out.
Praise our God and Thank you to those who work so tirelessly for helping to fight Cancer! Blessings to all of you!
This was published in a non reputable journal. 😞
May your work bring about the successful treatment of cancer cases.
I have lung cancer. I hope they find something that will help me and others with lung cancer
O my god i have risk full b/s of bony canser this news very important for me.
Cancer in reverse is “recnac”. You’re welcome.
Remember folks: what can be done on a computer simulation or petri dish does not always translate to being able to be done inside the human body, which is incredibly complex. Also, not to sound like a conspiracy theorist, but cancer treatment is a billion dollar industry. So don’t be surprised if this breakthrough simply disappears or is shelved by a company that purchases the technology. That has happened before, such as with discoveries that cured type 2 diabetes.
Good start to curing cancer but there was no mention of any application to actually help people. Which apparently doesn’t exist yet since this switch has to be flipped BEFORE cells become irreversibly cancerous. Maybe in another 50 years?
It will not make it to the market in the US
It will not make it to the market in the US. Nope
Ah but Bobby Jr is in there now just get him on the case and uncle Don will make it great
It makes me wonder if AI will be able to help find a end to cancer with all the information that has been collected over the last few years it’s hard to believe they can’t put it all together to create and end to this horrible illness
Nice to see the fruits in so many scientific fields of the excellent education and government funded research institutes in South Korea, Vietnam and PR China.
All diseased cells probably have the same mechanism. Cells do not become diseased suddenly. They change over a period of time and through many steps. So, if this discovery can be put to practical use, we may have found the way to reverse many diseases.