How a common household insect is helping scientists unlock the mysteries of cancer, diabetes, neurological disorders and drug discovery. 1. Drosophila and cancer research Cancer remains one of the greatest challenges facing modern medicine. Despite significant advances in diagnosis and treatment, scientists are still working to understand why normal cells sometimes begin to grow uncontrollably, invade surrounding tissues and spread to other parts of the body. Interestingly, the fruit fly has become an important tool in cancer research. Although Drosophila does not develop cancer in exactly the same...