Researchers at Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology (KAIST), led by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering, have developed a groundbreaking method to treat colon cancer by transforming cancer cells back into a state “resembling normal colon cells”. Unlike conventional therapies that aim to destroy cancer cells, which can lead to harmful side effects and the potential for the cancer to return, this new approach avoids destruction altogether. Instead, it “reprograms” cancer cells to behave like healthy ones by simulating how normal cells develop and function (Cho et al., 2024).

The team’s innovation lies in creating a detailed computer model, or “digital twin,” of how healthy colon cells grow and mature. This model helps researchers identify critical “switches” in the cells’ genetic code—specific genes that guide a cell’s development. By activating these switches in cancer cells, the researchers successfully reverted them to a normal-like state. For example, they found that three genes—HDAC2, FOXA2, and MYB—play a key role in steering this transformation. This process was tested and confirmed through laboratory experiments and studies in animals, showing promise for real-world applications (Cho et al., 2024).

This research, published in Advanced Science on December 11, could lead to a new type of cancer treatment that focuses on reversing cancer rather than destroying it. Unlike the harsh effects of chemotherapy or radiation, this method offers a gentler and potentially more effective approach to stopping cancer in its tracks. Supported by Korea’s Ministry of Science and ICT and the National Research Foundation, the findings have already been licensed to BioRevert Inc. for further development into practical therapies….

(Advanced Science, DOI: https://doi.org/10.1002/advs.202402132).