Colon cancer cells can now be transformed into normal colon cells thanks to new technology

Even though many cancer therapy technologies have been developed, all modern cancer medicines aim to eradicate cancer cells. However, this strategy has serious drawbacks, including as the potential for cancer cells to become resistant and reappear, as well as serious adverse effects from the death of healthy cells.

On December 20, KAIST (represented by President Kwang Hyung Lee) declared that a research team headed by Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering had created a novel treatment for colon cancer that can prevent side effects by transforming cancer cells into a state similar to healthy colon cells without killing them. Advanced Science published the research.

The study team concentrated on the finding that normal cells regress along their differentiation trajectory during the oncogenesis process. Building on this realisation, scientists created a method to produce a digital replica of the gene network linked to normal cells’ differentiation trajectory.

The group methodically found master molecular switches that promote normal cell differentiation using simulation research. Molecular and cellular research, as well as animal studies, have proven that when these switches were administered to colon cancer cells, the cancer cells returned to a normal-like condition.

Instead of depending on chance findings, this study shows that cancer cell reversion can be methodically accomplished by examining and applying the digital twin of the cancer cell gene network.

The results have great potential for creating reversible cancer treatments that can be used to treat different kinds of cancer. “It is a remarkable phenomenon that cancer cells can be transformed back into normal cells,” said Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho. This work demonstrates that it is possible to systematically generate such reversion.

He added, “By turning cancer cells back into healthy cells, this study presents the innovative idea of reversible cancer treatment. Through the methodical examination of typical cell development trajectories, it also creates the fundamental technology for determining targets for cancer reversion.

The National Research Foundation of Korea and the Ministry of Science and ICT provided funding for the study through the Basic Research Laboratory Program and the Mid-Career Researcher Program. The research results have been turned over to BioRevert Inc., which will use them to create useful cancer reversion treatments.

Our knowledge of mitochondrial function and how it affects health and illness can be improved by measuring cellular oxygen consumption rates, or OCR. Making sure OCR measurements are accurate is essential for lab managers in charge of mitochondrial research. OCR measurements can be distorted by factors including cell count, mitochondrial mass, and media components, which might mean the difference between ground-breaking discoveries and false findings.

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