A strain of the common cold virus can infect and kill bladder cancer cells, a small study suggests.

In this study, 15 patients with the disease were given the cancer-killing coxsackievirus (CVA21) through a catheter one week before surgery to remove their tumours. When tissues samples were analysed after surgery, there were signs the virus had targeted and killed cancer cells in the bladder.

All signs of the disease disappeared in one patient, and in 14 others there was evidence that cancer cells had died.

University of Surrey researchers said the virus could “help revolutionise treatment” for the cancer and reduce the risk of it recurring.

Read more at BBC.