Research by British scientists could speed up attempts to wipe out cancer by targeting tumour stem cells.

A team from Oxford University has developed a new method of isolating cancer stem cells that can then be grown and studied in the laboratory.

The technique could lead to the development of drugs that attack cancer at its root.

Dr Trevor Yeung, from the Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine at Ox-ford University, said: “Cancer stem cells drive the growth of a tumour.

“If we could target treatments against these cells specifically, we should be able to eradicate cancer completely.”

Until now, research on cancer stem cells has been slow, since the cells are difficult to identify and isolate from tumours. In the past, scientists have tried to find cancer stem cells in tissue samples taken from patients.

The new research involves better ways of using molecular markers to identify cancer stem cells, and maintaining the cells in simple laboratory cultures.

Instead of using biopsy samples, the scientists worked with established bowel cancer cell lines. They found that the proportion of cancer stem cells within different bowel cancers varied widely, with aggressive tumours containing higher numbers.

Dr Yeung said: “Radiotherapy and chemotherapy work against all rapidly dividing cells. But there is increasing evidence that cancer stem cells are more resistant than other cells to this treatment. Cancer stem cells that have not been eradicated can lead to later recurrence of cancer.”