Speakers
Description
Unravelling Brain Disorders: Drosophila as a Genetic Tool in Neurodegeneration
Neurodegenerative diseases are a diverse group of progressive, age-associated disorders
characterized by improper functioning of neurons, ultimately leading to
impaired cognition, movement, and survival. Disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease,
Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, are
major public health challenges, yet effective therapies remain limited due to the complexity
of their underlying mechanisms. Drosophila melanogaster has become a widely used model
system for unravelling the genetic, molecular, and cellular basis of neurodegeneration. Its
advantages include a well-mapped nervous system, highly conserved signalling pathways,
rapid life cycle, and powerful genetic tools, which allow the creation of transgenic lines that
mimic pathological features of human diseases. Studies in Drosophila have
successfully replicated key disease phenotypes such as protein aggregation, mitochondrial
dysfunction, oxidative stress, synaptic loss, and neuron death, thereby providing valuable
platforms to understand pathogenic mechanisms. Moreover, large-scale genetic screens and
pharmacological assays in flies have enabled the identification of modifier genes and
candidate therapeutic compounds with translational potential. Research using Drosophila
has also highlighted the importance of non-neuronal cells, such as glia, in influencing
neuronal survival, further expanding our understanding of disease complexity. Collectively,
insights gained from Drosophila melanogaster models continue to bridge the gap between
basic molecular research and clinical applications, making the fruit fly an indispensable tool
in advancing neurodegenerative disease research and therapeutic discovery.
Keywords
Neurodegenerative diseases, Drosophila melanogaster, Protein aggregation, Genetic screens, Therapeutic discovery
