The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster unfolds the secrets of innate immunity

Abstract

In 2011, the Nobel Prize in Physiology and Medicine was rewarded, in part, for research on the Drosophila immune response. The research described the role of the Drosophila Toll receptor in antifungal resistance, and the subsequent characterization of Toll-like receptors in mammals reshaped our understanding of the immune system. This review summarizes the potential of the Drosophila model and describes the path that has lead Drosophila to become an important model to study immunity.

Conclusion: Drosophila melanogaster has been one of the most fruitful models to study innate immunity.