Despite significant advancements in cancer treatment, most current therapies focus on eliminating cancer cells. However, this approach has fundamental challenges, including the development of drug resistance, cancer recurrence, and severe side effects from damaging healthy cells.
KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology), led by President Kwang Hyung Lee, announced on December 20 that a research team headed by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has developed an innovative therapy for colon cancer. Rather than killing cancer cells, this novel method converts them into a state resembling normal colon cells—effectively treating the disease while avoiding harmful side effects.
A Breakthrough in Cancer Reversion Therapy
The research team based their work on the observation that, during oncogenesis, normal cells regress along their differentiation trajectory. Leveraging this insight, they developed a digital twin of the gene network responsible for normal cell differentiation.
By conducting simulation analyses, the team systematically identified key molecular switches that trigger normal differentiation. When these molecular switches were introduced to colon cancer cells, the cells reverted to a normal-like state—an outcome confirmed through molecular and cellular experiments as well as animal studies.
This research marks a paradigm shift, demonstrating that cancer cell reversion can be achieved through systematic digital modeling rather than relying on chance discoveries. The findings open new possibilities for developing reversible cancer therapies applicable to various types of cancer.
“The ability to revert cancer cells back to normal is an astonishing phenomenon. This study proves that such reversion can be systematically induced.”
— Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho, KAIST
Implications for Future Cancer Treatment
Professor Cho emphasized that this research introduces a groundbreaking concept: reversible cancer therapy, where cancer cells are not destroyed but returned to their normal state. Furthermore, the study lays the foundation for identifying therapeutic targets for cancer reversion through the systematic analysis of normal cell differentiation trajectories.
The research was conducted with contributions from Jeong-Ryeol Gong, Chun-Kyung Lee, Hoon-Min Kim, Juhee Kim, and Jaeog Jeon and was published in the international journal Advanced Science (Wiley) on December 11.
Publication Details:
📄 Title: “Control of Cellular Differentiation Trajectories for Cancer Reversion”
🔗 DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402132
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 Basic Research Laboratory Program. The findings have been transferred to BioRevert Inc., where they will be developed into practical cancer reversion therapies.