Science for All Conference: ‘The Drosophila Fly and the Mouse as Key Players in the Study of Neuropsychiatric Diseases’

Maria Capovilla is a CNRS researcher at the Institute of Molecular and Cellular Pharmacology (Valbonne, Sophia Antipolis). During ten years of research at Baylor College of Medicine in Houston (USA), she gained solid experience in molecular biology and genetics using the Drosophila model. She also worked on the innate immunity of flies with Nobel Prize winner Jules Hoffmann in Strasbourg and was team leader at the Italian Telethon Foundation. Currently, her research in Dr. Barbara Bardoni's team focuses on Drosophila as a model for studying the neurological developmental disorder Fragile X Syndrome in Drosophila.

Drosophila flies and mice as actors in the study of neuropsychiatric diseases
Neuropsychiatric diseases are pathologies that affect the central nervous system (brain and spinal cord) or peripheral nervous system. One class of neuropsychiatric diseases are nervous system developmental disorders or neurodevelopmental disorders. Most of these diseases are hereditary. This presentation will focus on the neurodevelopmental disorder Fragile X Syndrome (FXS), which is caused by a mutation in a single gene located on the X chromosome. FXS is a rare disorder and the second leading cause of intellectual disability after Down syndrome. Several patients also exhibit autism spectrum disorders. During this conference, Drosophila (fruit fly) and mouse models will be presented, which help us understand the genetic basis and molecular mechanisms of the disease. They also allow us to test pharmacological therapies before conducting clinical studies in patients.