Cancer research: Interview with Professor Volodymyr Shevchenko

Professor Volodymyr Shevchenko

Dubai, UAE: Professor Volodymyr Shevchenko, a distinguished Ukrainian academic and immunologist, began his cancer research in the Soviet era in Kyiv. He was part of a team working on an immunological method to treat late-stage cancer, a time when statistics for survival were bleak.

We sat down with Professor Shevchenko who recently challenged the conventional approach to cancer treatment at the fourth International Cancer Conference in Dubai. He was a keynote speaker at the event, which took place in May this year.

In his presentation, he introduced a groundbreaking immunological concept exploring how cancer cells could possibly be reverted to normal cells. The research concept led to the creation of his biotechnological platform, "Neoreversin". We discussed the motivation behind this innovative research, the dramatic history of his team's work, and the future of his collaboration in the UAE.

Q: Professor Shevchenko, in your scientific publications, as well as in your presentation at the

fourth International Cancer Conference, you challenged the conventional belief that

“cancer cells must be eliminated” by introducing an innovative immunological concept

suggesting that cancer cells can be reverted to normal cells. Neoreversin aims to

restore cancer to its normal physiological state. Could you tell us when you first began this research and what motivated you to start it?

Prof. Shevchenko: Traditionally, cancer has been (and still is) viewed as a chaotic “rebellion” of cells that have escaped the control of regulatory mechanisms. During this “rebellion”, the immune system, although designed to combat such a phenomenon, is unable to protect the body from killer cells.

The rapidly developing field of oncoimmunology also aims to destroy tumor cells,

viewing them as foreign and seeking to reinforce this foreignness so that the immune system can cope with the tumor in the same way that it copes with disease-causing microbes or rejects foreign transplants.

Unfortunately, dispassionate statistics tell us that despite all the efforts and huge investments, cancer mortality worldwide continues to rise steadily in absolute terms.

What if we assume that such a dramatic result is not a consequence of the insane

complexity of the mechanism of malignant growth, but a consequence of our incorrect view of this mechanism? What if a cancer cell is not originally a killer cell, but an embryo-like cell, and cancer mimics the evolutionary process of early pregnancy regulation, refined over millions of years, when the immune system does not interfere, but rather helps the embryo to implant itself in the uterus? In a normal pregnancy, the mechanism that helps the embryo soon shuts down. In the case of cancer, however, it does not stop. And when we fight cancer, we are not fighting a foreign invader, but a distorted echo of the early stages of life. It turns out that this is not a “failure” of the immune system, but the activation of ancient mechanisms designed to support new life. This is one of the most important reasons why cancer is so difficult to fight. It is from this initial position that we tried to approach the problem.

Regarding what prompted us to take up this issue, in the 1970s and 1980s, during the Soviet era, in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv, I, then a young specialist who had graduated with honors from the National Medical University, worked in a specialized laboratory at the Institute of Molecular Biology and Genetics of the National Academy of Sciences of the Ukrainian SSR under the guidance of Dr. Zoya Uspenskaya.

Our team worked on the development of an immunological method effective for the

treatment of various types of cancer in its final 4th stage—the stage of distant metastases. It is precisely in patients with this stage of cancer that the survival statistics are the most dismal.

Using this method, we first successfully treated horses with naturally occurring tumors,

as well as rabbits with artificially induced tumors.

In doing so, we used our own know-how - a special method of preparing and using a

mixture of human placenta extract and the blood of the sick animal, which we called “Reversin.”

The results were remarkable: 100% complete recovery in horses and 83% in rabbits. The

animals not only survived, but also regained their vitality and coat colour.

Moreover, we observed the restoration of organs damaged by tumors — so-called

“organotypic regeneration” — for example, the structure of the rabbits' eyes, completely

destroyed by tumor metastases, was restored to almost normal condition. The same thing happened in the internal organs (liver, kidneys) previously affected by the tumor. There, we

observed the restoration of damaged tissues, including through the cancer cells themselves,

which began to differentiate into normal cells.

It was like a miracle. But this “miracle” was officially registered at several state research

institutes by authoritative independent expert commissions and confirmed by documents,

including photographs.

It should also be noted that all our experiments, like most innovative research at the time,

were conducted under the strict control of the relevant government agencies, which monitored compliance with confidentiality and the reliability of the results obtained.

Based on these results, we received permission for the limited use of this technique on

patients whose condition was considered completely hopeless by official medicine.

In some patients, we achieved complete remission from various types of cancer, which

made it possible to describe the typical clinical picture of the process of recovery from malignant tumors in humans, identify possible complications, and determine the indications and contraindications for the use of the method. This was primarily my area of responsibility in the team.

The results of these experiments literally turned the worldview, of those who participated

in them or became acquainted with them, upside down.

Q: Could you clarify what stage the research is currently at?

Prof. Shevchenko: Unfortunately, the fate of our research, the team of scientists, and the laboratory itself has been quite dramatic.

The author of the methodology, Dr. Z. Uspenskaya, died suddenly in the early 1980s. The

results of the research, despite their absolute reliability, could not be explained within the

framework of the prevailing theories at the time. Due to the conservative scientific opposition to the new approach, the laboratory was disbanded, and all documents related to the research were handed over to the archives and classified. Such a practice with regard to innovative developments, especially those that did not fit into existing ideas, was the rule rather than the exception in the Soviet Union. This is how many interesting developments in various fields were lost.

But our small team of scientists, who had conducted these experiments, set themselves

several tasks: to create a theory that would explain the phenomena observed; to collect and

systematize documents on the research conducted from various sources; to practically recreate and develop innovative treatment technologies; to tell the world about the research and try to interest authoritative scientists, research centers, and structures that support startups in it.

Our team has devoted more than 40 years of scientific and creative activity to the

implementation of this super task. It should be noted that during this time, a number of discoveries have been made around the world by scientists who, without exaggeration, can be described as brilliant. Taking these achievements into account, it has become possible to formulate a system of views on the tumor process, within which the results obtained do not appear to be a miracle, but rather the result of understandable biological processes.

During this time, we also managed to collect many archival documents related to our

research.

Our concept of the mechanisms of cancer development and our innovative approach to its

treatment in the late stages using immunological methods has attracted considerable interest in international scientific circles. Following our official publications in specialized international journals and my presentation at the recent international cancer conference in Dubai, we receive offers almost weekly to present at prestigious oncology forums or publish in scientific journals.

Q: You have analyzed the mechanisms of restoring the damaged immune system of

cancer patients and, as a result, demonstrated the potential of immunological cancer

therapy through the induction of an autoimmune response. Your concept is consistent with

the latest research results from KAIST (Korea Advanced Institute of Science and

Technology) in South Korea, which have gained international scientific recognition for the

possibility of normalizing cancer cells. Do you intend to continue mutual cooperation with

KAIST in the future, particularly with regard to clinical trials?

Prof. Shevchenko: Rare and unsystematic data on the fact that cancer cells are capable of returning to a normal state under certain conditions, carrying out so-called “cancer reversal,” have periodically appeared in scientific literature.

However, the KAIST team, led by the respected Professor Kwan-Hyun Cho, has made a

radical scientific breakthrough in this direction. Korean scientists have discovered a “molecular switch” for the reverse development of cancer cells and proposed a treatment technology that does not kill cancer cells but returns them to a state close to normal cells. It is expected that in the future, this technology will be used to develop reversal methods for many types of cancer.

The findings of such authoritative experts as KAIST scientists indicate that the ability of

cancer cells to transform into normal cells under certain conditions is a proven fact that is

gradually gaining recognition and finding more and more experimental confirmation around the world.

It is precisely this fundamental idea—the reversal of cancer cells into healthy ones - that

we had the honor of presenting in our scientific publications and announcing at the international conference in Dubai that you mentioned. Our research group is deeply convinced that this is the path that will lead us to the most optimistic news in the fight against cancer. Regarding possible cooperation with Korean scientists from KAIST, we would certainly be very interested in this. As colleagues and like-minded people, we could make a joint contribution to understanding the mechanism of the “molecular switch,” the role of the immune system in its functioning, and the role of the microenvironment of the tumor and its metastases in the processes of cancer cell reversion.

Q: Two months ago, you signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Genetic

Center, a government agency directly subordinate to the Crown Prince of Fujairah (UAE),

with the aim of establishing mutual cooperation. This agreement focuses on cancer

research using the Center's equipment. Could you share your plans and vision for future

research that will be conducted as part of this collaboration?

Prof. Shevchenko: During our visit to the Genetic Center (Fujairah, UAE) in May 2025 at the kind invitation of its director, respected Professor Olof Olsson, we saw a well-equipped scientific institute with highly qualified international staff, where numerous world-class research projects are currently being conducted.

We held fruitful negotiations and officially recorded our mutual desire and readiness to

translate our scientific cooperation into practical terms in the near future.

We are currently in the process of agreeing on all the necessary issues concerning the

organization, planning, and financing of our pilot project at this scientific site.

I believe in the success of our joint work.

Q: Looking ahead, what is your vision for how your research and innovations could

benefit humanity and contribute to the betterment of the world?

Prof. Shevchenko: If we talk about the deep philosophical basis of the new approach, we reject the “concept of hatred” in oncology, where all medical actions are aimed at killing cancer cells (cutting, poisoning, killing with radiation, etc.) and replacing it with the “concept of love,” where opportunities for normal development and differentiation are created for cancer cells. Not only as an immunologist, but also as a doctor of philosophy, this approach is very close to my heart. It is not just a technology. It is a revolution in thinking at the level of basic ethical foundations.

Giving humanity a new cure for cancer that does not destroy everything in its path, but

revives the ability of cancer cells to form healthy tissues is our mission, which we are fulfilling

and actively promoting to the best of our ability.

Q: What do you see as the greatest challenges - scientific, ethical, or logistical - that

must be overcome to fully realize the potential of your work?

Prof. Shevchenko: At the moment, we have the following potential:

- Our own well-founded innovative concept, which describes the possibility of non-

specific cancer treatment using gentle immunological methods, is based on modern

achievements, and is constantly being improved.

- Our own innovative technology for the practical treatment of cancer in the late stages of

the process.

- A team of professional researchers, immunologists, and immunogeneticists with PhDs

who are also skilled in working with AI.

- Signed cooperation protocols on specific areas of the project with a number of

authoritative scientific state and private institutions in different countries.

Unfortunately, however, due to the situation in Ukraine, we are unable to carry out our plans to launch our scientific project on a domestic platform, obtain international patents for its results, and promote the technology on the market.

Today, we see the following algorithm for the development of our research:

- First, conduct a practical demo test on animals to confirm the effectiveness of the

proposed technology. Basically, this test is necessary for our potential strategic

partner-investor.

- We are open to cooperation with all interested parties on all aspects of the development

of our innovative approach to the treatment of malignant tumors. We are considering various

international scientific platforms for our start-up and are actively working to attract interested

investor partners to our joint project.