The breakthrough comes from a team at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST), led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho of the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering. The research, published in the international journal Advanced Science by Wiley, reveals an entirely new approach to cancer treatment; rather than killing cancer cells, this new method transforms them back into cells that closely resemble their healthy counterparts.

“This research introduces the novel concept of reversible cancer therapy by reverting cancer cells to normal cells,” said Professor Cho, as reported by the KAIST website. “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.”

For decades, cancer treatment has largely revolved around eliminating cancer cells through methods like chemotherapy and radiation. While often effective in the short term, these treatments can also destroy healthy cells, leading to severe side effects. Worse still, many cancers develop resistance over time, making the disease harder to treat. The KAIST team’s discovery tackles both problems head-on by changing the game entirely; instead of destroying cancer, it aims to restore the cells to normality.

At the heart of the breakthrough is the idea that cancer cells aren’t entirely foreign invaders—they are, in fact, ordinary cells that have gone off course. During the development of cancer, cells essentially reverse in their growth and lose their normal functions. Using this insight, the KAIST team created a digital model—or “digital twin”—of the gene network that controls how normal colon cells develop.

By simulating this network, they were able to pinpoint specific “molecular switches” that influence a cell’s development. When these switches were activated in colon cancer cells, the cells changed course—returning to a more normal, healthy state. These findings were not only observed in lab but also confirmed through animal studies, providing strong evidence that the approach could work in real-life scenarios.

“This research demonstrates that cancer cell reversion can be systematically achieved by analysing and using the digital twin of the gene network, rather than relying on lucky discoveries,” Professor Cho explained.

The study, officially titled “Control of Cellular Differentiation Trajectories for Cancer Reversion”, was carried out by a team including Jeong-Ryeol Gong, Chun-Kyung Lee, Hoon-Min Kim, Juhee Kim, and Jaeog Jeon and published online on December 11, 2024, by Wiley.

Backed by funding from South Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation of Korea, the findings have now been transferred to BioRevert Inc., a company aiming to develop real-world treatments based on this cancer reversion technology.

While further research and trials are still needed before this becomes a standard option in cancer care, the discovery offers a hopeful glimpse into a future where fighting cancer doesn’t mean attacking the body—but guiding it gently back to health.

Also read:

US researchers develop simple blood test to predict preeclampsia during pregnancy