A research team from the nation’s leading university says it has discovered a mechanism for inhibiting the spread of cancerous cells.

Led by professor Baek Sung-hee of Seoul National University, the team found that a protein called SUMO regulates the functions of cancer suppressor KAI 1 in prostate cancer cells.

The team said Monday that when a SUMO protein combines with a Reptin protein, KAI 1 cannot function and, as a result, cancerous cells spread. On the other hand, when the SUMO protein is separated from the Reptin protein, the cancer suppressor regains its functions and hinders cancer growth.

The researchers say that developing a medicine to prohibit SUMO from combining with Reptin will eventually enable scientists to prevent cancer from spreading in the body.

The research team says the discovery is the first of its kind in the world.

The British journal, Nature Cell Biology, published Baek’s study, saying the South Korean team had opened up a new horizon in the fight against cancer.