London (PTI): British scientists claim to have discovered the mechanism cancer cells use to spread around the body -- a breakthrough which could stop the disease right in its tracks.

In their research, the scientists have found that a protein called Ecadherin is essential to keeping cells stuck together and when its levels fall, other proteins move to the surface of the cells and they manage to break away and spread, the 'Daily Mail' reported here on Thursday.

"Understanding how cancer cells spread is tremendously important for cancer research. It is the ability of tumours to invade other tissues and spread around the body that makes them so dangerous. The cancer just overwhelms the body.

"Potentially, our findings can be applied to the most common form of cancer, carcinoma, found in the breast, lung and gut for example, which makes up 80 to 90 per cent of all cancers," lead researcher Chris Ward was quoted as saying.

The researchers, who used embryonic stem cells to unlock the secret behind how cancer spreads around the body, now plan to create drugs that interfere with this process.

"These findings may enhance our ability to come up with more effective drugs."

Norman Barrett of the Association for International Cancer Research, which funded the study, said: "Dr Ward and his team are pursuing research which could change the lives of tens of thousands of people in the United Kingdom and many more across the world."

The findings of the study have been published in the latest edition of the 'Nature' journal.