Drosophila melanogaster: A Powerful Tiny Animal Model for the Study of Metabolic Hepatic Diseases

Author(s)

Moraes, Karen C. M. ^[1] ; Montagne, Jacques ^[2]

Affiliation

^[1] UNESP, Inst Biociencias, Lab Sinalizacao Celular & Expressao Gen, Dept Biol Geral & Aplicada, Rio Claro - Brazil

^[2] Univ Paris Saclay, CNRS, CEA, Inst Integrat Biol Cell 12BC, Gif Sur Yvette - France

• Document type: Review article
• Source: FRONTIERS IN PHYSIOLOGY; v. 12, SEP 16 2021.
• Web of Science Citations: 0

Abstract

Animal experimentation is limited by unethical procedures, time-consuming protocols, and high cost. Thus, the development of innovative approaches for disease treatment based on alternative models in a fast, safe, and economic manner is an important, yet challenging goal. In this paradigm, the fruit-fly Drosophila melanogaster has become a powerful model for biomedical research, considering its short life cycle and low-cost maintenance. In addition, biological processes are conserved and homologs of similar to 75% of human disease-related genes are found in the fruit-fly. Therefore, this model has been used in innovative approaches to evaluate and validate the functional activities of candidate molecules identified via in vitro large-scale analyses, as putative agents to treat or reverse pathological conditions. In this context, Drosophila offers a powerful alternative to investigate the molecular aspects of liver diseases, since no effective therapies are available for those pathologies. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is the most common form of chronic hepatic dysfunctions, which may progress to the development of chronic hepatitis and ultimately to cirrhosis, thereby increasing the risk for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). This deleterious situation reinforces the use of the Drosophila model to accelerate functional research aimed at deciphering the mechanisms that sustain the disease. In this short review, we illustrate the relevance of using the fruit-fly to address aspects of liver pathologies to contribute to the biomedical area.</p> (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 19/16406-2 - The fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster as an alternative animal model for Translational Science of molecular mechanisms of human liver diseases
• Grantee: Karen Cristiane Martinez de Moraes
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/05286-3 - Mechanistic and functional analyses of the microRNA-1914-5p in the nonalcoholic hepatic pro-steatotic processes in cell culture model
• Grantee: Karen Cristiane Martinez de Moraes
• Support Opportunities: Regular Research Grants