Cancer breakthrough raises hopes of cure for deadly disease

A NEW way of using DNA to kill cancer cells has sparked hopes for a cure for the disease.

The method was effective against human cervical and breast cancer cells and malignant melanoma cells in mice.

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Artificial, hair clip-shaped DNA was injected into cancer cells to trigger an immune response.

This reaction not only killed the cancer cells, but also prevented them from growing further.

The researchers say their method, which was successfully tested in a Japanese lab, is groundbreaking and could herald a new era in cancer drugs.

Their artificial DNA overcame problems with drugs that were able to differentiate between healthy and cancerous cells in the body.

University of Tokyo researcher Professor Akimitsu Okamoto said: “We thought that if we could develop new drugs that work by a different mechanism than conventional drugs, they might be effective against cancers that were previously untreatable.

“The results are good news for physicians, researchers and patients as we believe they will open up new drug development options for them.”