Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 7:22:00 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Pesky Beetle Could Hold Cancer Key

Posted Sep 1, 08 1:03 PM CDT in Science & Health 

(Newser) – 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.

Source Philadelphia Inquirer

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon
Researchers hope the breakthrough will help more precise treatments for cancer than most chemotherapies, which aim to kill an entire cancer cell and are often toxic to healthy tissue as well.   (AP Photo)
Like a shoelace, a strand of DNA frays at the ends if exposed, but it's protected by sections at each end called telomeres, an enzyme that helps keep cells in an "immortal" state.   (Index Stock)
The red flour beetle, an eighth-inch-long pest found in Southern kitchens, may help scientists speed the search for drugs to treat human cancers.   (Index Stock)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

cancer • DNA • aging • chemotherapy • protein • cell • telomeres


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »