Scientists in South Korea have identified a molecular “change” that can reverse cancer cells to a healthier state, marking a great advance in cancer research.
When addressing this critical moment before normal cells are irreversibly transformed into sick cells, researchers from the Advanced Institute of Science and Technology of Korea (Kaist) were able to stop the progression of cancer at a fundamental level.
“This finding provides a new approach to the treatment of cancer by re -wiring cancer cells instead of eliminating them,” he told Dailymail.com, a retired oncologist, a retired oncologist in the Sloan Kettering Cancer memorial that did not participate in the study.
Dr. Troso-Sandoval compared this hybrid state with boiling water at 212 ° F (100 ° C), explaining that “there is a brief time when water is not completely liquid or completely steam”, similar to the way in which Cancer development includes a short window where cells are healthy and cancerous.
Traditional cancer treatments focus on eliminating cancer cells through surgery or destroying them with radiation and chemotherapy.
However, new research presents a third approach that could allow patients to recover healthy cells, which can lead to therapies that are less toxic than conventional treatments.
“These traditional therapies damage all body cells, not just cancerous,” said Dr. Toso-Sandoval, highlighting how such treatments can cause weakening side effects and even increase the risk of secondary cancers.
He also noted that findings could lead to preventive strategies for high -risk people, such as those with a family history of cancer or frequent exposure to carcinogens such as cigarette smoke. “The study also provides” a deeper understanding of cancer biology that could lead to a more personalized medicine, “he added.
Professor Kwang-Hyun Cho, co-author of the study, explained the importance of his findings: “This study has revealed in detail, at the genetic network level, what changes occur within the cells behind the cancer development process, which has been considered a mystery so far. “
“This is the first study that reveals that an important track that can reverse the fate of [tumour development] It is hidden in this same moment of change, ”added Cho.
Cancer gradually develops as DNA mutations accumulate, altering cell function until they become completely cancerous. The researchers identified a “critical transition” of short duration during this process, where the cells exhibit healthy and cancerous features.
Using a molecular identification system, the equipment identified an enzyme that was avoiding the decomposition of cancer -related proteins, allowing tumor growth to continue without control. When blocking this enzyme in the organic cancer organids cultivated in the laboratory, they were able to stop tumor growth and restore normal cell function.
The findings, published in the Advanced Science magazine, introduce a novel mechanism to reprogram cancer cells, instead of eliminating them, which could revolutionize treatment strategies.
Although the concept of cell differentiation is well established, Dr. Toso-Sandoval said that the mechanism discovered by Cho and its team, including its application in cancer treatment, is completely new.
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