A Breakthrough in Cancer Reversal Technology
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho’s research team has recently gained recognition for developing a groundbreaking cancer reversal technology. Unlike conventional treatments that aim to destroy cancer cells, their approach focuses on reprogramming cancer cells by altering their characteristics, effectively restoring them to a state resembling normal cells.
Discovery of a Molecular Switch
In a major breakthrough, the team has, for the first time, identified a molecular switch hidden within the genetic network that can trigger cancer cell reversal. This switch activates during the critical moment when normal cells begin transforming into cancerous ones.
KAIST’s Announcement of the Innovation
KAIST (President Kwang-Hyung Lee) announced on February 5th that Professor Cho’s team from the Department of Bio and Brain Engineering has successfully developed a core technology capable of detecting and analyzing this key transitional phase. Their findings open the door to reversing cancer cell development by targeting this newly discovered molecular mechanism.
Understanding the Critical Transition in Cancer
A critical transition refers to a sudden and dramatic shift in state, much like water turning into steam at 100°C. In the context of cancer, such a transition can occur when normal cells, after accumulating genetic and epigenetic alterations, abruptly transform into cancerous cells.
Capturing the Intermediate State Between Normal and Cancer Cells
The research team discovered that, just before this transformation, normal cells enter an unstable intermediate state—where characteristics of both normal and cancer cells coexist. By analyzing this critical transition phase using systems biology approaches, they developed a novel technology capable of identifying molecular switches that can reverse the progression toward cancer.
Experimental Validation Using Colon Cancer Cells
Applying this approach to colon cancer cells, the team demonstrated through molecular and cellular experiments that it is possible to revert cancer cells to a more normal-like state.
Computational Modeling and Simulation of Genetic Networks
This groundbreaking technology automatically constructs computational models of genetic networks involved in cancer transitions using single-cell RNA sequencing data. It then systematically identifies potential molecular switches for cancer reversion through simulation-based analysis.
Future Implications for Cancer Reversion Therapies
This innovative method holds significant promise for developing reversion therapies for various types of cancer in the future.
Expert Commentary on the Study
We have discovered a molecular switch that can revert the fate of cancer cells back to a normal state by capturing the moment of critical transition right before normal cells are changed into an irreversible cancerous state.
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho
He stated, “This study, in particular, offers a detailed view at the genetic network level of the cellular changes that occur during cancer development—an area that has long remained a mystery.” He further emphasized, “It is the first research to uncover that a crucial clue for reversing the course of tumorigenesis lies within this pivotal transitional moment.”
Collaborations and Publication Details
The research was carried out by Dr. Dongkwan Shin of KAIST (currently at the National Cancer Center), Dr. Jeong-Ryeol Gong, and Ph.D. candidate Seoyoon D. Jeong, in collaboration with a research team from Seoul National University, which provided organoids (lab-grown tissue models) derived from colon cancer patients. The findings were published online on January 22nd in the international journal Advanced Science, published by Wiley.
Funding and Support
This study was supported by the Ministry of Science and ICT through the National Research Foundation of Korea’s Mid-Career Researcher Program and Basic Research Laboratory Program, as well as the Korea Health Industry Development Institute’s Disease-Centered Translational Research Project under the Ministry of Health and Welfare.
Source: kaist: Korea Advanced Institute of Science & Technology
Journal reference:
Shin, D., et al. (2025). Attractor Landscape Analysis Reveals a Reversion Switch in the Transition of Colorectal Tumorigenesis. Advanced Science. doi.org/10.1002/advs.202412503.
