Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key

An insect that’s a scourge in Southern kitchens could help scientists develop drugs to treat human cancer, the Philadelphia Inquirer reports. In studying  the red flour beetle, scientists were able to decode an enzyme called telomerase, which triggers a cell's ability to multiply timelessly, playing an active role in 85% of all cancers.

Scientists  hope the breakthrough, which one called a “technical tour de force,” will lead to more precise cancer treatments than chemotherapy, which often harms healthy tissue. It could also rejuvenate fatigued cells, sparking hopes for a medical fountain of youth. (More cancer stories.)