Hur man läker fibros - Drosophila som modell.

Fibrosis – an extensive and deposition of extracellular material accompanies many pathological states including tumors and Covid-19 and may affect different organs including blood vessels, liver, kidney and the lungs. Fibrosis is often preceded by an inflammatory state that involves several elements of the innate immune system.

Using the fruitfly Drosophila melanogaster we have established a genetically tractable model for fibrosis, which shows both inflammation and extensive deposition and reorganization of the extracellular matrix leading to a loss of organ function.

With this project we will identify signature genes that are specific for different stages of fibrosis and functionally test their potential to modify fibrosis.

As proof-of-principle we have shown both fibrosis-mitigating and aggravating activity for select genes that were regulated by fibrosis.

To identify new therapeutic targets, we will further combine Drosophila genetics with bioinformatics searches for fibrosis-associated pathways and chemical screens of pathway-specific inhibitors. Our focus will be on conserved genes and involve establishing humanized fly strains for the most promising candidates.

In the long term, we expect our work to improve differential diagnosis of fibrotic stages and open up new and more targeted therapeutic options.