The compound, which is also used in anti-inflammation and anti-viral drugs, lacks the toxic side effects of chemotherapy drugs. 
Dr Virginia Appleyard told us about this breakthrough; 'The intresting thing about this research is that many of the current drugs in chemistry provokes DNA damage. This can result in a secondary tumour developing later in life, especially for young patients. But the usnic acid did not produce this same effect.'
This breakthrough comes from recent tests involving natural resouces. It will be tested on animals before moving on to clinical experiments.