review · Fly
Drosophila melanogaster, the fruit fly, serves as a versatile model organism that significantly advances the study of human diseases. Over 60 percent of its genes have human homologues, making it an effective system for modelling pathologies such as neurodegenerative conditions, cancer, metabolic diseases, and muscular or cardiac disorders. Modern genetic tools, including the GAL4/UAS system, RNA interference, and CRISPR-Cas9, allow researchers to perform precise genetic manipulations. Using CRISPR-Cas9, scientists can introduce specific human disease mutations into orthologous fruit fly genes. These methods facilitate the investigation of disease mechanisms, the identification of potential therapeutic targets, and the execution of drug screening and toxicological assessments. Overall, the organism proves highly valuable for investigating complex conditions like Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, and cancer, supporting ongoing efforts to develop new medical treatments and understand pathological pathways.
Understanding complex human illnesses requires practical biological models before testing therapies in patients. Because fruit flies share a majority of their genes with humans, they offer an accessible, well-understood platform to simulate serious conditions such as cancer and Alzheimer's disease. This approach accelerates biomedical discovery by helping researchers safely investigate disease pathways and screen potential drug candidates early in the development pipeline.
The review highlights fruit flies as early-stage research tools for pharmaceutical screening, toxicity testing, and target discovery. Drug developers and biotechnology firms can use these genetic models to evaluate drug candidates and disease mechanisms before advancing to mammalian trials. While this work describes fundamental laboratory models rather than market-ready products, it enables preclinical pipelines to identify novel therapeutic targets more efficiently.
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<i>Drosophila melanogaster</i> is a highly versatile model organism that has profoundly advanced our understanding of human diseases. With more than 60% of its genes having human homologs, <i>Drosophila</i> provides an invaluable system for modelling a wide range of pathologies, including neurodegenerative disorders, cancer, metabolic diseases, as well as cardiac and muscular conditions. This review highlights key developments in utilizing <i>Drosophila</i> for disease modelling, emphasizing the genetic tools that have transformed research in this field. Technologies such as the GAL4/UAS system, RNA interference (RNAi) and CRISPR-Cas9 have enabled precise genetic manipulation, with CRISPR-Cas9 allowing for the introduction of human disease mutations into orthologous <i>Drosophila</i> genes. These approaches have yielded critical insights into disease mechanisms, identified novel therapeutic targets and facilitated both drug screening and toxicological studies. Articles were selected based on their relevance, impact and contribution to the field, with a particular focus on studies offering innovative perspectives on disease mechanisms or therapeutic strategies. Our findings emphasize the central role of <i>Drosophila</i> in studying complex human diseases, underscoring its genetic similarities to humans and its effectiveness in modelling conditions such as Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease and cancer. This review reaffirms <i>Drosophila</i>'s critical role as a model organism, highlighting its potential to drive future research and therapeutic advancements.
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DOI: 10.1080/19336934.2024.2420453
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