Researchers say they have developed stem cells that can kill brain cancer

A group of scientists from Harvard University say they have discovered a major breakthrough in the fight against brain cancer.

The team said Friday it has successfully engineered stem cells to produce toxins that can kill cancerous cells, turning them into lethal weapons in the war against brain tumours.

The scientists say the stem cells will not only kill cancerous cells but also do it without harming themselves or surrounding healthy cells.

Now, we have toxin-resistant stem cells that can make and release cancer-killing drugs, Khalid Shah, a co-author of the study, said in a statement. Cancer-killing toxins have been used with great success in a variety of blood cancers, but they dont work as well in solid tumors because the cancers arent as accessible and the toxins have a short half-life.

Based on experiments conducted on mice, the results were positive, Shah said.

Nell Barrie of Cancer Research U.K., told BBC News that more work is needed to see whether the treatment works on humans.

But, she added, We urgently need better treatments for brain tumors, and this could help direct treatment to exactly where its needed.

The Harvard study was published online in the journal Stem Cells.

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Researchers say they have developed stem cells that can kill brain cancer