The molecule disables a CD47 found on the surface of cancer cells in high quantities and fends off attacks from the immune system.

CD47 is naturally present on healthy blood cells and blocks the immune cells including macrophages from destroying them as a foreign invader or abnormal cell.

Since cancerous cells also produce higher levels of CD47 to prevent immune attacks, scientists have already investigated ways to block the protein as a method to treat leukemia.

“If we can block this signal, we can get the immune system to eat [the cancer cells] up,” said Stephen Willingham, senior author of the Stanford study which suggests that the technique may fight any type of cancer.

Researchers developed a single antigen which can attach to CD47 and prevent it from warding off macrophages.

The new medicine which has been found to be significantly effective in treating lab mice is said to be able to treat breast, ovary, colon, bladder, brain, liver, and prostate cancer tumors.

According to the results reported in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, anti-CD47 injection resulted in significant tumor shrinkage and slowed growth in all types of cancer cells.

In some cases, the cancerous cells were completely destroyed with no recurrence four months after the treatment was stopped, said researchers adding that the therapy dramatically increased survival rates.

“Blocking this ‘don’t-eat-me’ signal inhibits the growth in mice of nearly every human cancer we tested, with minimal toxicity,” said Willingham. “This shows conclusively that this protein, CD47, is a legitimate and promising target for human cancer therapy.”

He added that there was now enough evidence to “move forward quickly but cautiously” to test the efficacy and safety of the drug in humans.