Ants could be the next line of defense against cancer.
A study published in the journal Proceedings of Royal Society B: Biological Sciences focused on Ants and their keen sense of smell. Ants use smell via their thin sensory appendages that sit on top of their heads to do almost everything, including hunt for food, spotting mates, and protecting their young.
In the study, scientists used pieces of a breast cancer tumor, which were grafted onto mice, and then trained 35 ants to associate urine from the infected mice with sugar. In analyzing, scientists detected that the ants would hover for longer periods of time near the sick mouse rather than the healthy one.
Using ants to detect cancers would be a cost-cutting tool. Currently, cancers are diagnosed by blood withdrawal, biopsies, and colonoscopies, which are all considered invasive as well as being expensive procedures. Utilizing ants to screen for cancer would be significantly more reasonable.
While dogs have similar capabilities in that they are able to detect cancer in humans through smell, they take much longer to train. Baptiste Piqueret, a postdoctoral fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Chemical Ecology in Germany, said ants would be the ideal animal to use because they have good memories, are easy to train and don't bite.
Though progress has been made with ants and their cancer detection capabilities, there is still more research to be done on their efficacy. The next phase of the study will be human trials to see if ants are able to sniff out cancers through human excrement.
NASA is gearing up this week for a mission to launch a SpaceX Falcon 9 rocket into a near-Earth asteroid in an attempt to move it slightly off its projected course. Thomas Zurbuchen, an associate administrator for the NASA Science Mission Directorate, joined Cheddar's "Opening Bell" to provide some additional details about the Double Asteroid Redirection Test (DART) and explained why it is necessary as a means to protect Earth.
With Thanksgiving two days away, the USDA is reminding hosts of the importance of food safety. Karen Hunter, Food Safety Expert, USDA, joined Cheddar's Opening Bell to discuss the best food handling and leftover tips ahead of the holiday.
Jill and Carlo are a bit delayed today on account of Carlo's internet not working. Better late than never, they discuss what we know about the suspect in the Christmas parade crash, closing arguments in the Arbery killing trial, and more.
If you’ve ever watched a show or movie where a character is unconscious for some reason - drowning, electrocution, stabbed in a knife fight - you probably know what to expect next. Some hero will come perform what looks like cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) for a minute or two, perhaps in slow motion, and definitely with a dramatic musical score. And bing, bang, boom, the unconscious character miraculously comes back to life.
If you’ve ever suspected that this is a gross exaggeration of the efficacy of CPR, well, you’re right. But exactly how wrong Hollywood gets CPR is hilarious at best and downright dangerous at worst.
Countries around the world continue to grapple with rising COVID cases, with Germany confirming case numbers at their highest at any point during the pandemic. German officials say that 48,000 new cases are being reported everyday.
Jill and Carlo cover the developing story out of suburban Milwaukee, where a speeding SUV careened through a Christmas parade. Looters get more brazen in San Francisco, the missing Chinese tennis star resurfaces, and more.
A CDC panel has unanimously endorsed boosters of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines for all adults. Internal medicine physician Dr. Vivek Cherian joined Cheddar News to weigh in.
Neuroscientist Dr. Bankole Johnson joined Cheddar News to talk about the expectation of boosters for all U.S. adults and what the move would mean in the fight against the pandemic.
Deborah Sass, CO-CEO and Founding Partner of Space Hero, joins ChedHER to discuss how she's creating a global competition to send someone on a 10-day trip to space, her experience in the space industry without a background in STEM, and how she hopes to inspire younger generations of women.
