A virus known as M1 could kill cancer cells without harming normal cells, a study by Professor Yan Guangmei of Zhongshan School of Medicine under the Sun Yat-Sen University in Guangzhou, Guangdong province, has found.

The virus could curb cancer cells' growth without affecting normal cells, and animal tests in the lab showed it worked well on cancer cells of the liver, bladder, colon and rectum, according to a report by Chinanews.com on Tuesday.

The findings show promise for future research and development of new, targeted cancer therapies, said the report.

Cancer has been on the rise in China, and without timely intervention will become a major public health challenge, senior cancer experts warned.

According to the 2013 Cancer Registry Annual Report, 3.09 million Chinese developed cancer and 1.96 million died in 2010.

The estimates were based on data from 145 cancer surveillance sites in 24 provinces covering 158 million people.