New 'suicide gene' can teach body to kill prostate cancer cells

A new gene therapy technique is able to modify prostate cancer cells so that a patient's body attacks and kills them.

The technique causes the tumour cells in the body to self-destruct, giving it the name 'suicide gene therapy'.

Researchers from Houston Methodist Hospital in Texas have found a 20% improvement in survival in patients with prostate cancer five years after treatment.

A cancer expert has called for more research to judge the effectiveness of the treatment.

Kevin Harrington, professor of biological cancer therapies at The Institute of Cancer Research, London has said the results are interesting, but more research is needed.