Scientists have discovered a switch that reverses cancer cells in what’s being described as a major breakthrough. By activating this molecular level, researchers in South Korea were able to revert cancerous cells back to a healthier stage. This allowed them to tap into the critical moment before normal cells irreversibly transform into diseased cells and halt the progression. “This finding provides a new approach for cancer treatment by rewiring cancer cells rather than eliminating them,” said Dr. Tiffany Troso-Sandoval of the Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center in New York. Traditional cancer treatments focus on removing cancer cells through surgery, or destroying them with radiation or chemotherapy. The new research provides a third approach that could allow cancer patients to retain their healthy cells. The new findings could also point to a way to prevent tumor formation in high-risk patients, such as people with a family history of the disease who are regularly exposed to carcinogens like cigarette smoke.
