South Korean scientists say they have found how cancer cells spread through the body.

Accordingly, they say, developing a chemical agent to block the transfer will pave the way to find a cancer cure.

Professor Yook Jong-in and his team of Yonsei University researchers said they found that cancer cells spread when signals from the protein Wnt activate genes, Beta-catenin and Axin-2, and inhibit another protein, GSK-3.

They said this marks the first time for anyone to discover the actual signal mechanism of the transfer following the initial stage of cancer.

The renowned academic journal Nature Cell Biology published Yoon’s findings on the web.

Yoon’s team conducted the joint research with University of Michigan Comprehensive Cancer Center and the National Health Insurance Corporation Ilsan Hospital.