Researchers from South Korea have shown that cancer cells do not always need to be destroyed, they can be restored to their normal state, and this is good news.
Using digital "twin" models of genetic networks, the team simulated the behavior of cancer cells and looked for checkpoints rather than focusing on traditional ways of destroying them.
They identified several key genes, called "master switches," including MYB, HDAC2, and FOXA2, which determine whether a colon cell remains cancerous or reverts to a healthy state.
Through precise manipulation of these "keys", cancer cells stopped uncontrolled growth and returned to normal behavior, without the need to be eliminated.
If this approach is developed and implemented on a large scale, cancer treatment could move from toxic destruction of cells to their reprogramming, a completely new and revolutionary way to fight the disease.
