ReviewPharmacological reviews2011
Human disease models in Drosophila melanogaster and the role of the fly in therapeutic drug discovery.
Review in Pharmacological reviews, 2011. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 476 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
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Who cites it
476 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.
- Nonmammalian models to study Clostridioides difficile infection; a systematic review.Anaerobe · 2023Pooled it
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- Credit to the Fruit Fly: How the Tiny Insect Lights Up Our Understanding of Human Disease.Insects · 2026Review
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- Beyond the mouse: 3R-guided alternative animal models transforming cancer research.Molecular cancer · 2026Review
- Sex-specific effects of cereal-based diets on longevity and healthspan in Drosophila melanogaster.Biogerontology · 2026Article
- Genetic dissection of signalling pathways that mediate iron-related tumor growth in a Drosophila model.PLoS genetics · 2026Article
- Gallic Acid, 3-Hydroxytyrosol, and Quercetin Modulate Cholinesterase Activity inInternational journal of molecular sciences · 2026Article
416 more citing papers are in PubMed but not listed here.
Corrections and comments
PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.
Authors and funding
2 authors.
Funding
Abstract
The common fruit fly, Drosophila melanogaster, is a well studied and highly tractable genetic model organism for understanding molecular mechanisms of human diseases. Many basic biological, physiological, and neurological properties are conserved between mammals and D. melanogaster, and nearly 75% of human disease-causing genes are believed to have a functional homolog in the fly. In the discovery process for therapeutics, traditional approaches employ high-throughput screening for small molecules that is based primarily on in vitro cell culture, enzymatic assays, or receptor binding assays. The majority of positive hits identified through these types of in vitro screens, unfortunately, are found to be ineffective and/or toxic in subsequent validation experiments in whole-animal models. New tools and platforms are needed in the discovery arena to overcome these limitations. The incorporation of D. melanogaster into the therapeutic discovery process holds tremendous promise for an enhanced rate of discovery of higher quality leads. D. melanogaster models of human diseases provide several unique features such as powerful genetics, highly conserved disease pathways, and very low comparative costs. The fly can effectively be used for low- to high-throughput drug screens as well as in target discovery. Here, we review the basic biology of the fly and discuss models of human diseases and opportunities for therapeutic discovery for central nervous system disorders, inflammatory disorders, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and diabetes. We also provide information and resources for those interested in pursuing fly models of human disease, as well as those interested in using D. melanogaster in the drug discovery process.
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Registered trials
Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.