South Korean Scientists Discover Promising Way to Slow Colon Cancer Growth

The study revealed that deactivating a gene called NSMF, which produces a protein that helps cancer cells cope with rapid division, triggers what scientists describe as “irreversible cellular aging” within tumors. Normally, cancer cells divide quickly, with NSMF contributing to DNA damage and the emergence of new mutations.

In laboratory and mouse experiments, turning off the NSMF gene slowed tumor growth or halted it entirely. In mice, inhibiting NSMF led to a marked reduction in intestinal tumor growth and increased survival by an average of 33.5% compared to mice with the gene active. Importantly, researchers observed no damage to healthy intestinal cells, suggesting that this method targets tumors specifically, unlike traditional chemotherapy.

Dr. Kyung Jin Shin, a cancer specialist at the Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology (UNIST), who led the study, said: "Our results indicate that NSMF is a promising target. By inducing permanent aging in cancer cells, we can effectively stop tumor growth without harming healthy tissue."

He added that developing drugs to block this protein “could provide a new therapeutic approach” against cancer.

These findings arrive amid a sharp rise in colon and rectal cancer among younger populations. In the United States, cases among people under 50 have nearly doubled since the mid-1990s, with many patients experiencing mild symptoms that are often overlooked or misdiagnosed.