Professors at KAIST has achieved a groundbreaking discovery by revealing for the first time that a molecular switch hidden in the genetic network can induce cancer reversal at the exact moment when normal cells begin transforming into cancer cells. The team developed an original technology that does not kill cancer cells but instead changes their characteristics to reverse them back to a state similar to normal cells marking a fundamental shift in how scientists approach cancer treatment. They discovered that normal cells enter an unstable critical transition state where normal and cancer cells coexist just before they fully change into cancer cells during tumorigenesis, and by analyzing this critical transition they created technology to identify cancer reversal molecular switches.
The researchers applied this breakthrough to colon cancer cells and confirmed through molecular experiments that cancer cells can recover the characteristics of normal cells, with the automatic computer model inferring genetic networks from single cell RNA sequencing data and systematically finding molecular switches through simulation. Professor Cho explained they captured the moment of critical transition right before normal cells change into an irreversible cancerous state and discovered a molecular switch that can revert the fate of cancer cells back to normal. The study revealed in detail at the genetic network level what changes occur within cells during cancer development which has been considered a mystery until now, emphasizing this is the first study showing that an important clue for reverting tumorigenesis is hidden at the very critical moment of change.
The research was published in the international journal Advanced Science with the team establishing fundamental technology for automatic construction of computer models and developing original technology for discovering molecular switches through attractor landscape analysis. This innovative approach is expected to be applied to the development of reversion therapies for other cancers in the future proving that even at the moment cells begin their cancerous transformation there remains a window of opportunity to reverse their fate and return them to health.
