Scientists have found a molecular switch that reverses cancer cells in the body back to their normal, healthy state.
Scientists made the revolutionary find from the Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST) in Daejeon, South Korea. If the research holds, the discovery could revolutionize how the world combats cancer. The study published in the journal Advanced Science tells how the team uncovered the “Critical Transition” point, a crucial moment when healthy cells turn into tumorous ones, and how capturing this point in cancer cell formation would allow full reversion.
Critical transition pinpointing could allow scientists to reverse cancer
A critical transition, similar to the temperature at which water freezes, is a specific criterion in the cancer cell formation process, known as tumorigenesis, where healthy cells are on the brink of becoming cancerous. To capitalize on this significant moment, the team developed a system they called REVERT. REVERT initially identifies the genetic basis of cancer development and subsequently employs a molecular switch to reverse cell conversion.
“REVERT is a generic framework that can be applied to investigate various cell fate transition phenomena,” the researchers said in the paper.
The team tested REVERT in trials on colon cancer cells and demonstrated that the process can indeed revert cells to their normal state. Cancer is notorious for being extraordinarily difficult to reverse, with the only option being to kill the cells through radiation and chemotherapy, which takes a heavy toll on the patient’s health. This is why doctors and experts emphasize early detection, so tumors can be surgically removed before the cells spread.
“The usefulness of REVERT is demonstrated by applying it to single-cell transcriptome of patient-derived matched organoids of colon cancer and normal colon,” wrote the researchers.
The discovery reveals what happens to the cells when they become tumorous. It pinpoints the stages they undergo in the transition from healthy to dangerous. This was once a mystery, but not anymore.
“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,” said paper author and biology professor Kwang-Hyun Cho in a statement. “This is the first study to reveal that an important clue that can revert the fate of tumorigenesis is hidden at this very moment of change.”
It is unclear how far this treatment could go. However, if researchers could build on the REVERT system and figure out how to utilize this treatment on a large scale, it has the potential to completely change how we treat cancer.