In a groundbreaking discovery, researches in South Korea identified a critical moment in the early stages of cancer development that could offer a new treatment approach
A “switch” that reverses cancer cells has been discovered by scientists – who say it’s a major breakthrough in finding a cure to the disease.
A team of researches in South Korea were able to revert cancerous cells back to a healthier stage by activating this molecular level. In a groundbreaking discovery, they identified a critical moment in the early stages of cancer development – before normal cells irreversibly transform into diseased cells – that could offer a new treatment approach, potentially revolutionising the way we fight the disease.
Traditionally, cancer treatments focus on removing or destroying cancer cells through surgery, radiation, or chemotherapy. But this new research points to a third option: helping patients regain their healthy cells, possibly offering therapies that are less toxic and more effective, Dr. Troso-Sandoval told MailOnline.
The retired oncologist, formerly at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center who was not involved in the study, said: “This finding provides a new approach for cancer treatment by rewiring cancer cells rather than eliminating them.”
To help understand this hybrid state, you can think of water boiling at exactly 212°F, (100C), Dr Troso-Sandoval said. “There’s a brief moment when water is neither fully liquid or fully steam,” – similar to how cells are both healthy and cancerous cancer during a short window of cancer development.
Conventional treatments often come with debilitating side effects because they don’t just target cancer cells – they harm all cells in the body, which can lead to further diseases, including new cancers. In contrast, the new findings suggest a way to intervene earlier in the cancer process, possibly preventing tumour formation in high-risk patients, such as those with a family history of cancer or those regularly exposed to carcinogens like cigarette smoke.
The study also provides “a deeper understanding of cancer biology that could lead to more personalized medicine”, she said. Co-author of the new research, Kwang-Hyun Cho, a professor of biology at the Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology, said: “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.
“This is the first study to reveal that an important clue that can revert the fate of [tumor development] is hidden at this very moment of change,’ he added. Cancer doesn’t develop overnight; it’s a gradual process where DNA damage accumulates over time, altering the way cells function. Eventually, these changes lead to the transformation of healthy cells into cancerous ones.
But researchers discovered a crucial window during this transition when cells exhibit both healthy and cancerous traits. By identifying this critical transition state, the team was able to target the molecular pathways involved and push the cells back to a healthier state.
The researchers, led by Cho and his team, tested this new approach using organoid miniature lab-grown tumours made from colon cancer cells. They pinpointed an enzyme that was blocking the breakdown of cancer-related proteins, fuelling tumour growth. By blocking this enzyme, the organoids stopped growing and returned to a normal, healthy state. Their findings were published in Advanced Science.
While the concept of cell differentiation, the process by which cells change states, is not new, the specific mechanism Cho’s team discovered, and its potential application in cancer treatment, marks a significant step forward, Dr. Troso-Sandoval explained. This research could pave the way for therapies that target cancer at an earlier, more manageable stage, offering a promising alternative to traditional, more harmful treatments.
