The discovery was made after the scientist Katherine Schaefer made a mistake in the laboratory and her cultured cells died.
The cells that had been cultured were cancerous because human cells are difficult to cultivate in a laboratory. Researchers at the University believe that they have unwittingly discovered a new way of killing off tumors that are immune to existing cancer drugs.
The scientists had been using a compound known as peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor-gamma, or PPARgamma inhibitors, on the cells. The compound was being developed as a treatment for inflammation in Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis.
Research on mice with the PPARgamma inhibitors showed that it destroys tumor walls which has learnt how to block existing cancer drugs. The compound kills off epithelial tumor cell lines and colon tumors in mice.
The compound has potential to treat colon, liver, esophagus and skin, cancer because the cell lines are similar.
The researchers say this is the first observation of a small molecule dramatically reducing levels of the proteins called tubulins, the building blocks of cancer cell skeletons.
Scientists intend to conduct more safety tests in mice and explain why tubulins disappear.