These mutations can be inherited, caused by damage such as UV radiation, or develop incrementally as one ages.
The ability to transform a cancerous cell back into a state resembling normal cells represents a major breakthrough. This not only introduces a novel method for treating certain cancers but may also lessen the adverse side effects associated with typical cancer therapies like chemotherapy and radiotherapy.
This approach focuses on restoring the cell to a normal-like state instead of complete destruction.
The study was spearheaded by professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering at the Korean Advanced Institute of Science and Technology.
Through a digital simulation of normal cell development, professor Kwang-Hyun Cho and his team succeeded in transforming colon cancer cells back to a normal-like state.
In their research, they scrutinized the oncogenesis process, where normal cells evolve into cancerous ones. Upon constructing a ‘digital twin’ of the gene network, they discovered that certain molecules, named ‘master regulators’ or MYB, HDAC2, and FOXA2, were responsible for inducing differentiation.
The research, detailed in Advanced Science, states: “MYB, HDAC2, and FOXA2 are identified as the master regulators whose inhibition induces enterocyte differentiation.
“It is found that simultaneous knockdown of these master regulators can revert colorectal cancer cells into normal-like enterocytes by synergistically inducing differentiation and suppressing malignancy.”
The outcomes of the digital model were subsequently validated through experiments conducted on mice with cancerous tumors.
Regarding the finding, professor Kwang-Hyun Cho remarked, “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.
“This research introduces the novel concept of reversible cancer therapy by reverting cancer cells to normal cells. It also develops foundational technology for identifying targets for cancer reversion through the systematic analysis of normal cell differentiation trajectories.”
The study opens up transformative potential for using reversible cancer therapy in various cancer treatments.