Scientists at Dundee University have made a major breakthrough in targeting and destroying disease-causing proteins.

Experts at the university's School of Life Sciences have devised a so-called protein missile, which is said to offer realistic hope for future drugs.

Proteins, which are known as the building blocks of life and are found on every cell on Earth, have a wide range of functions including defending against diseases such as Alzheimer's, Parkinson's and various types of cancer.

It is thought the missile system can help reverse their progress by seeking out malfunctioning proteins.

Dr Gopal Sapkota said: "If we take out the protein that we want to take out and then ask, does the cell become normal from a diseased state?

"If we get that information, that then allows scientists to prioritise the protein as a drug target and then design specific drugs against that particular protein to basically to take it out of the cells."