London: A mother with leukaemia given only months to live has been 'saved' by an injection of cells from her daughter.

Joanne Scott is now in remission a year after being given the dose of the 'natural killer' DNA, which fights cancer, from 22-year-old Tara.

Doctors believe the pioneering therapy could revolutionise the treatment of advanced cancer. The 54-year-old fashion designer, who was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia, had relapsed after five courses of chemotherapy.

A bone marrow match could not be found and doctors say they had run out of options.

Using a technique developed at the Royal Free Hospital, in North-West London, the donor natural killer (NK) cells were activated in the laboratory before being transplanted into her body. The NK cells multiplied, killing the cancer and allowing her to lead a normal life.

Doctors say the treatment is still experimental, but they hope it will result in long-lasting remission.

Scott was the first person in the world to be enrolled in a clinical trial of the therapy. Further trials are expected to start in other European countries and the United States.

British doctors behind the breakthrough hope it may be used in mainstream medicine within five years, and possibly extended to solid tumours such as breast and ovarian cancer.

Scott, who lives in London, said the doctors did not spell out that the trial was her last chance in her four-year fight.

She said: "It did not seem quite as desperate as that although there were no other options left. When I survived the transfer of cells the doctor looked amazed and relieved. I knew it had never been done before so I suppose I might not have survived but I always felt positive.

"It's still a little scary as my previous treatments tended to last a year before I relapsed, yet I feel fine and hopeful."

So far two other patients have had NK treatment. A 74-year-old man and a New Zealander were given it in January and they remain well. A further 12 patients will be recruited in the United Kingdom.