Girl aged just EIGHT helps scientist dad make cancer breakthrough after chat round dinner table

When Professor Michael Lisanti chatted to his eight-year-old about his job finding a cure for cancer - he had no idea she would provide just the inspiration he was looking for.

The family were having dinner when Michael asked schoolgirl Camilla how she would go about treating cancer.

Her answer was simple - but proved to be a brainwave.

Camilla said people who are ill should take antibiotics.

And after dad Prof Lisanti - and mum Dr Federica Sotgia - dug a little deeper, it turned out she could be spot on.

Prof Lisanti, director of the Breakthrough Breast Cancer Unit at the university, led the research after being inspired by his daughter to look at the effects of the drugs on the mitochondria of cancer stem cells.

He found that drugs used to treat other illnesses could be re-purposed to treat certain types of cancer.

Professor Lisanti said: "I was having a conversation with Camilla about how to cure cancer and she asked why don't we just use antibiotics like we do for other illnesses.

"I knew that antibiotics can affect mitochondria, but that conversation helped me to make a direct link.

"Camilla made a very broad generalisation, that adults wouldn't make, because they know too much.

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Girl aged just EIGHT helps scientist dad make cancer breakthrough after chat round dinner table