CHENNAI: For more than three years now, scientists have been saying aspirin , the low-cost painkiller that also prevents heart diseases, can kill cancer cells. Just that they didn't know how.Now, a team of scientists from Indian Institute of Technology - Madras has discovered how this non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug destroys cancer cells.The study, published in peer-reviewed journal Scientific Reports, found aspirin targeted malignant cells which are high in a protein called voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC). "The drug induces high levels of calcium ions in the mitochondria of the cancer cells. Elevated levels of calcium prevent mitochondria from breaking down food into energy. Aspirin prevents this energy production and releases toxic substances that kill the cell," said IIT-M professor of biotechnology Amal Kanti Bera The study will help pharmaceutical researchers design more potent anti-cancer drugs, said researcher Debanjan Tewari , who began his PhD work on the protein three years ago when animal studies showed anti-cancer properties in aspirin. "When we understand how a molecule works, the scope for new drug discovery widens," he said. Research has shown how low-dose aspirin taken every day can reduce risks of cardiac diseases in high-risk people. "We hope it has the same effect on cancer," said Tewari.Data from cancer registries estimate that 14.5 lakh Indians live with the disease. Every year, more than seven lakh new cases are registered and 5.5 lakh die of the disease. An estimated 71 percent of all cancer-related deaths occur in the age group of 30-69 years.Although most cancers are curable if detected early, oncologists like Dr V Shantha say that less than four out of 10 cancer patients receive any form of treatment mostly because treatment is not accessible or affordable. In 2015, the number of cancers was projected to be 1.1 million and the estimated number of cancer patients who received treatment, including palliative care, was 3.96 lakh.On an average, a patient has to spend at least Rs1.75lakh for cancer treatment. The cost may go up depending on the type and stage of cancer and hospital where treatment is sought. For the IIT-M team, the study results are more than academic achievement. "We all have seen someone we love suffer due to cancer," said Dhriti Majumdar If low-cost molecules like those in aspirin can kill cancer cells, it can pave way for affordable therapy. "We may not be able to say if aspirin can be directly used as an anti-cancer drug right away since it needs large clinical studies. But we know there is light at the end of the tunnel," said Bera.